Resistance
by LeggoMyMeggo92
Summary: It's the beginning of the first wizarding war, and Hadley Sinclair has never been in love. As her last year at Hogwarts starts will she let sleeping dogs lie or look for someone to love? Where will her loyalties lie in the war to come? Decisions have to be made, and soon, but will she be able to resist her hot new neighbor? Sirius/OC, James/Lily
1. Never Been in Love

**I'm back! And I've got a new story for you! Please enjoy the adventures of my new OC, Hadley Sinclair!**

 **Please let me know what you think in a review, as I will be basing my timeline on interest. I really hope I capture James and Sirius well!**

* * *

 _ **July 1, 1978**_

Hadley Sinclair let herself in the back door the Potter's' house. It was still early, and normally Hadley would still be asleep. But, being the first day of vacation, she was still on her school sleep schedule. She had risen that morning at precisely six forty-seven. It was now nearly nine and since she couldn't distract herself anymore, she decided to go wake up her best friend.

Mrs. Potter was sitting in the living room with a cup of tea, knitting away when Hadley walked through the kitchen toward the stairs.

"Hadley, dear! How are you?" she asked, glancing up at the neighbor girl.

Hadley paused at the foot of the stairs, "I'm well. How are you and the Mister?"

"Oh, Fleamont's fine. Keeping busy in the front garden, as usual. James should still be asleep if you want to go up. And we've got Sirius too, the poor dear." Hadley rolled her eyes at the mention of Hogwarts' most notorious playboy, not looking forward to sharing her best friend for their last summer vacation together.

"Right. I'll go get those lazy bums up and about, take them to breakfast in town, save you the trouble." Hadley smiled at the older woman, who smiled back at her before going back to her knitting.

The Potters and Sinclairs had been neighbors since their children were young, and James and Hadley had grown up almost as siblings. They'd grown apart during their years at Hogwarts; they'd been sorted into different houses and moved in different circles, but every holiday was theirs and only theirs. That was, until Sirius Black started crashing with James' family on holidays. While James had mentioned that Sirius's home life was rather miserable, Hadley could barely find the sympathy needed to willingly share James. But share she did, as she really had no other choice.

On her way up the stairs, Hadley planned their day together. They'd walk into Godric's Hollow for some breakfast and butterbeers to celebrate the first day of vacation, then go back to James' room and listen to Muggle records. It had become their usual first day of summer routine and she was a bit surprised he wasn't awake already.

"Oh Ja-ames!" she called in a singsong voice as she climbed the stairs. "James Thaddeus Potter, get your ruddy arse up! I'm not going to let you piss away your entire vacation in bed!"

"Oi! Keep it down out there!" a voice shouted grumpily as it emerged from the bedroom she'd just passed. She whirled around and saw a very shirtless Sirius Black emerge from the guest room that over the last several school breaks had become his, rubbing his bleary eyes with the heel of his hand. Years of Quidditch had sculpted his chest, his shaggy black hair fell in waves practically down to his shoulders, and Hadley took a second to appreciate his bad-boy good looks before he could focus his eyes on her.

"Some of us need our beauty sleep, Sinclair." He joked, leaning against the doorframe.

"It doesn't appear to be doing you much good, Black." She muttered as she knocked on James' door. She'd almost grown used to having Black around, but had to admit to herself that it was a bit awkward living next door to the school lothario. Especially when he was as handsome as Sirius was.

"Hey Hadley, you ready to go? Oh, Sirius, you're up. Why don't you join us, mate? Breakfast and butterbeers in town, maybe walk around the park, should be a good time." Potter offered, adjusting the hem of the wrinkled t-shirt he'd clearly just pulled on. His glasses were askew on his nose, his black hair rumpled, but the smile on his face was wide and infectious. Hadley couldn't help but share his wide-eyed mirth.

"Oh, no I couldn't intrude on best friend together time." Sirius mocked slightly.

"Don't be stupid, you won't be intruding. Will he, Hadley?" James looked to Hadley, and she shrugged her shoulders as the smile disappeared.

"No, no. So long as he puts a shirt on. We don't want to cause a riot." She mocked back at him. She couldn't deny that Sirius was attractive, but he was much too smug for her tastes. He smirked and ducked back into his room, emerging a minute later looking impossibly cool in a pair of dark jeans and a white uniform shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbow; his usual look. Hadley could never recall seeing him wear his sleeves properly, but it suited him.

"Better, love?" he asked as he undoubtedly noticed her checking him out. The shirt clung to his body, showing every muscle movement as he reached up to run a hand through his shaggy black hair.

Hadley cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed that she'd been caught staring at him, and moved quickly toward the stairs, "Much. Let's go."

Sirius shot James a cocky smile and watched Hadley walk away. "Told you, mate, she wants me."

"I heard that." Hadley said from the bottom of the stairs and James playfully punched his best friend's arm.

* * *

The three of them strolled down the path that led to the high street, Hadley and James arm-in-arm with Sirius following close behind, his hands shoved into his pockets while the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor chatted. As much as he hated to admit, he was jealous of James and Hadley's relationship. They were as close as siblings and, while Sirius and James also shared a sibling-close bond, James and Hadley had had it longer. And despite being present at the Potter's for the last several holidays with her and going to the same school for six years, Hadley was still a bit of a mystery to him. He chanced a glance over her lithe form, taking in the way her jeans hugged every curve of her legs and the outline of her bra through her t-shirt. Lucky for him, he loved a good mystery.

"So Xander is _finally_ getting married?" James asked Hadley, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Yep. Two weeks from now. Your family is invited, of course. Sirius included." Hadley explained. Xander was her older brother. He had graduated Hogwarts four years prior, Xander Sinclair had been a bit of a Quidditch star during his time at Hogwarts. He was captain of the Gryffindor team his sixth and seventh years, and as an eleven and twelve year old Sirius had worshipped him as a god.

"We'll be there, right Sirius?" James called over his shoulder to his brooding best male friend.

"Be where?"

"My brother's wedding." She explained exasperatedly.

"Xander Sinclair's wedding? Of course I'll be there." Sirius enthused.

"But wait, mate, there's more." James bragged.

"What do you mean?" Hadley asked, confused.

"Tell him your mum's maiden name." James urged. Sirius squinted at James.

She sighed, "My mum's family is the Moodys. Alastor Moody is my uncle."

Sirius' eyebrows twitched upward, but the rest of his face remained impassive. " _The_ Alastor Moody?"

"Yes, _the_ Alastor Moody. Crown jewel of the Auror Office, foe to any and all practitioners of dark magic." Hadley said dryly, like it was getting rather tiring to be related to her uncle.

"Well now I'll definitely be there." Sirius grinned. Xander Sinclair and Alastor Moody in the same family? Hadley had won the familial relations lottery, he thought as they stepped onto the high street and headed toward The Mortar and Pestle, the local pub. He nestled those two bits of information away in his mind; a few clues into the mystery of Hadley Sinclair.

The morning sun cast long shadows on the cobblestone streets, and most of the shops were still closed, giving the street a half-asleep feeling that Sirius shared. He hadn't had any coffee yet; an absolute necessity within the first twenty minutes of waking. It had now been twenty-three minutes and he could feel the sharp pain of withdrawal start to creep around the edge of his brain, but the pub was in sight.

"Xander's going to be home in a few days to help finish up the plans. I'm sure he'd love to see the two of you again. You were his little disciples in second year if I remember correctly? Followed him everywhere, begged for his autograph?" she teased, nudging James with her elbow as his cheeks turned a bit pink.

"Oh stuff it, Hadley." James said as he ushered her into the dark pub.

"And that autograph would be worth a fortune now!" Sirius added as they took three stools at the far end of the bar and ordered breakfast and three butterbeers. Sirius ordered a black coffee as well, eager for his caffeine fix.

"So Hadley, how's that boyfriend of yours?" James asked suggestively, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Leo? He's not my boyfriend anymore." She said flippantly, as if it didn't really matter. Sirius was mildly surprised at her nonchalance. He'd seen the two of them making out in the lesser-strolled halls of Hogwarts and they seemed rather fond of each other then.

"What'd he do?" James went into protective big brother mode and sat up a little straighter.

"It's nothing. We had a row on the train yesterday because he thinks it's too soon for him to come to my brother's wedding." She explained, rolling her eyes a bit.

"Too soon? What does that mean?" Sirius asked.

"It means that despite having been together for nearly an entire school year he didn't want to meet my family because it's too big of a commitment." She explicated, a slight snap to her words. Ah, there it was. With her tone, he assumed it was the wand that broke the griffin's back.

"That's ridiculous!" James exclaimed, clenching a fist on the mahogany bar. Prongs must really care about this girl; whenever Sirius told him about one of his relationships ending he was met with a shrug and a sympathetic pat on the arm from his best friend.

"I agree. Which is why I told him that we're over. It's harsh, but what else was I supposed to do?" She said with conviction.

"Yeah, harsh." Sirius said. He had to hand it to her, she was sure of herself. Everything she'd said so far she'd said with absolute confidence, as if she had no doubt she was right in this matter. However it could also be thinly-veiled arrogance, and that he could not stand. He had just left his family behind partly because of their arrogance.

"He's been distant since Christmas. I was getting sick of being strung along, and since he's out of school it was only going to get worse. I refuse to be his doormat."

The ancient barkeep shuffled back over and placed their drinks in front of them, Sirius immediately reaching for the coffee and gulping it down like a man who'd just spent the last six weeks in the desert without water. The bitter black drink started working its way into his system, infusing his blood with life-giving energy. Slamming the mug back onto the bar earned him a confused look from Hadley. He grinned at her in response, hoping to break the veil and see what lay behind it.

"Good for you, Sinclair. The world needs more women like you." Sirius said as he clapped her on the shoulder with his free hand. She smiled at the insinuation.

"Black, if there were more women like me you would be a very lonely little man." She joked. James, who had been taking a long draw from his drink, sputtered and coughed as some went down the wrong tube. Hadley thudded him on the back to help clear his pipes as he collapsed in a mess of choking coughs and laughter.

"She's got you there, Padfoot." He said when his airway was clear.

"Just you wait, Sinclair, you'll fall for my charms one of these days. It's unavoidable," he replied. Her insult didn't bother him, as he knew her words were most likely true, but thank Merlin for small miracles.

"Ha! There would have to be a lot of firewhiskey involved for me to fall for your smug arse." Hadley laughed; a lovely laugh that sounded like church bells on Christmas. Another tidbit of information about her that he squirreled away, along with a small reminder to hear that laugh as often as he could. He very much liked it.

Their eyes connected as James succumbed to another coughing-slash-laughing attack. Sirius took the chance to look into her deep blue eyes. They stared back at him, all at once defiant and amenable. He saw a tinge of pink rise in her cheeks that sent a wave of pride wash through him.

"I think that can be arranged." He said, a smug smile spreading across his face.

* * *

 _ **July 4, 1978**_

Rafi scratched at her closed bedroom door, whining loudly so that Hadley had no choice but to get out of bed, which she was loath to do before ten. Her school sleep schedule was definitely over. She opened the door and let the old golden retriever out into the hall, where he padded over to her brother's room and barked. The door was closed, but Hadley could tell Xander was home from the way the dog was going nuts at his door.

"Alexander Bradley Sinclair, if you're in there say hello to the dog," she shouted down the hall. The door of her brother's room opened a crack and Rafi head-butted his way in, barking happily while Hadley went down to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Both of their parents were at work already, but her mother had left out some of her homemade scones and a note reminding Hadley to do the washing up.

She made tea for herself and her brother; she knew he wouldn't be upstairs much longer if Rafi had his say. Sure enough, the dog and her brother came bounding into the kitchen and Hadley smiled. Xander's shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes shone brightly as he hugged Hadley.

"Good morning, sis." He said, ruffling her hair as she finished the tea.

"When did you get in?" she asked, handing him his mug of tea. One sugar, lots of milk, just like he liked.

"I didn't get out of practice until one in the morning. Packed up at home and Floo'd here around two. How've you been?" he said, sitting down at the small kitchen table and motioning for her to join him.

"Oh, you know, dealing with your impending nuptials, hanging out with the dog, dumping my boyfriend, that sort of thing." She sat across from him and felt contentedness settle over her like a warm blanket as Rafi slipped under the kitchen table and put his head in her lap, begging for some breakfast.

"You broke up with what's-his-name? You were practically _besotted_ with him over winter break!" Xander mocked.

"I was nowhere near _besotted_. And Leo decided that being my date to a wedding was too big a commitment." She took a sip of her tea and shrugged. "Good riddance."

"Well I'm glad to see you're handling the break up well." Xander said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"What would you have me do? Collapse into a puddle because I don't have a boyfriend anymore? I'm not that girl, Xander." Silence settled over them as she stared off into space, sipping her tea and absent-mindedly thinking about Leo and how she hoped he was miserably lonely in London.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Hadley's eyes locked onto Xander's as he took a breath, preparing himself for the uncomfortable question to follow, "Have you ever been in love?" he queried, genuinely curious as to the answer.

Hadley had never been boy-crazy; Leo had been her first real boyfriend. At least, real enough to mention to her family.

Hadley sighed. Not because she didn't know the answer, but because she didn't want to admit it. She had never been in love. At least, not real love. She'd entertained a mad crush on Dante Glarus from third year until the beginning of fifth, when he started dating her friend Lila. And despite being with Leo for the better part of ten months, she hadn't even come close to loving him. In truth, she was relieved when he didn't want to come to Xander's wedding. It meant she could stop faking it.

Before she could answer her brother, she heard three sharp 'pops' just inside the front door, where the mail would fall in a normal Muggle home. She sighed and pushed back from the table.

"More RSVPs for your bloody wedding," she explained, walking into the foyer.

"I thought the deadline for those was last week!" Xander's voice sounded from the kitchen as Hadley opened her cousin Eleanor's reply.

"Yes, well people are incredibly inconsiderate. Especially when there's an open bar," she said, flipping through the invitations. Eleanor, their dour cousin who lived in the middle of nowhere was coming with a plus one, which made Hadley groan as she sat back down at the table.

"Waff ivv it?" Xander asked through a mouthful of one of their mother's vanilla-raspberry scones.

"Ellie's got a date to this thing and I've got none." She revealed, throwing the unopened envelopes on the table and going to make coffee. This was a coffee problem, not a tea problem.

"What? Surely not! Let me see that!" Xander got up from his seat and reached for the invitation, laughing when he saw the name of Ellie's date. "She's bringing Simon Heatherton? That doesn't seem like something to brag about."

"That's not the point! She's got a date and I don't! If our family gets wind of this I will never, _never_ hear the end of it!" Hadley flicked her wand violently and the coffee began brewing, but nearly at the expense of her brother's eye.

"Oi! Watch it!" he warned, pushing her wrist away from his face. Hadley put her wand down and braced herself against the counter, dropping her head and sighing.

"I am just so sick of not living up to their expectations, Xander." She said, barely above a whisper.

She felt like she would be sick. Another disappointment, another let-down for her family to hold over her head. As a Ravenclaw, her parents expected her to have high marks and achieve academic perfection, but that hope was dashed by her discovery that her interest laid in artistic pursuits rather than book learning. Her marks weren't terrible, and she'd gotten seven O.W.L.s, but she could tell that her parents (and indeed, much of her extended family) were dissatisfied. In many ways, she was glad that Xander was home because perhaps some of the pressure would be taken off her shoulders.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a 'pop' in the living room. At first she thought it was more letters, but James sauntering into the kitchen quickly proved her wrong.

"James old boy, I was wondering when you'd turn up!" Xander exclaimed, pushing off from the counter and extending a hand for James to shake.

"Xander, good to see you mate!" James took the outstretched hand and shook it enthusiastically before turning his attention to Hadley. "Hadley, what's wrong?" He put a hand on her shoulder and, instead of a verbal answer, she held up the RSVP.

"Smelly Ellie is coming to the wedding with Simon Heatherton? What's so upsetting about that?" James asked thickly.

"It's not that she's going with him, it's that she's got a date _at all_." Hadley said through gritted teeth, pouring herself some coffee and drinking it black, choking on the bitterness.

"And…what's so wrong with that? Other than the children will be ugly as sin." James joked, nudging Hadley with his elbow, a sly smile on his face to try to cheer her up. She knew what he was doing and didn't appreciate it.

"It's that she's got a date and our dear Hadley here hasn't one. She feels as though it's an embarrassing situation." Xander explained so his sister didn't have to.

"No date to your brother's wedding? Why is that embarrassing?"

"Because it just is, alright!? That is, unless…" she looked at James pleadingly but a guilty look crossed his face.

"Oh, sorry, Had but you see…I've already invited Lily Evans and…she said yes…"

"She said yes? Good for you mate!" she congratulated. She'd spent entire summers listening to James wax poetic about the majestic Lily Evans and his many failed attempts to woo her. Now that he'd gotten a win maybe his obsession would be a bit more subdued.

"You know…Sirius might go with you. If you asked him nicely, that is." James said thoughtfully.

Hadley scoffed, "Yeah, right. Me and Sirius Black. People would believe that."

"Come on, Hadley, just let me run it past him. I know he'd say yes."

"Thanks but no thanks, Jamie. I think I'd rather take Rafi." At the mention of his name, the old dog barked and jumped up on her, licking her face and making her laugh.

"You never know. He might surprise you." James offered, smiling deviously as he took his leave.

* * *

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	2. Something

**Hey all! I've posted some info about Resistance on my profile, I encourage you all to go check it out. It's basically which actors I picture while writing/describing the characters (especially my OCs). I also created a Pinterest board for the story in case you wanted to get some visuals.**

 **Anyway, here's Chapter Two! Thanks to those who have followed/favorited so far!**

* * *

 _ **July 6, 1978**_

Hadley sat on a chair in the far corner of her backyard garden, madly sketching the small patch of irises in front of her while Rafi slept at her feet in the afternoon sun. She was still upset that she would be going to her brother's wedding dateless, even though she had no particular desire to go with anyone. Her mother suggested asking her friend Roger, but she shot that idea down. Roger was a friend, but he was dating her other friend Rachel. She briefly thought about owling Evan and asking him, but then remembered that he was in the south of France for the summer. Her father crudely suggested going alone and hooking up with a groomsman.

She was shading in a petal when someone stepped into her light, casting a shadow over her and the flower she was shading.

"You're in my light," She rumbled, not looking up to see who it was. Rafi did, however, and rose to greet the newcomer, sneezing happily as he often did when he got excited.

"There's one I haven't heard before," The shadow said and she looked up, straight into the eyes of Sirius Black, who was bent over running his fingers through Rafi's shaggy gold fur.

"What do you want?" she asked moodily, looking up at him expectantly.

"That's no way to greet your savior. Good boy," he said, giving Rafi some definitive last pats. The dog licked his hand and went to a patch of garden in the shade about ten feet away. Sirius pulled up a chair and effortlessly spun it around before straddling it. He wore a pair of chinos and a white button down which was unbuttoned past his collarbone.

"My savior?"

"Yes. James clued me into your little predicament and I figured I could be of service."

"What sort of service?"

"Your date, of course." He was impossibly cool as he flicked his shaggy black hair out of his eyes. He was gorgeous, which made her instantly distrust his motivations. People as gorgeous as him were often up to no good.

"You want to pretend to be my date?" She eyed him cautiously.

"No, I want to actually be your date." He leaned forward over the back of the chair, his face coming within inches of hers.

"Why? So you can save me like some poor damsel in distress?" She said quickly, crossing her arms over her chest. To do that she had to put her sketchbook on her lap, and Sirius took the chance to snatch it.

"Hey! Give that back!" she shouted as he leapt off his chair, holding it at arm's length and playing keep away with it.

"Did you draw all these? No magic or anything?" he flipped through it with one hand and at the same time held her pinned against his side, wrapping his free arm around her and leveraging her away from the sketchbook. Most of the drawings were of various parts of the garden, but there were a few of Rafi and her family. The dog barked at the sudden excitement, but was too lazy to get up from the shade.

"Yes, I did, now give it back!" she shouted, desperately lunging for it. Her body writhed against his in her attempts.

"Not until you let me be your date." He turned his head and smirked smugly at her.

"I will go by myself, I do _not_ need to be saved! Your services are not needed!" Years of Quidditch had built his muscles, so he held her against him easily as she continued struggling against him. His strength was annoying, but she desperately wanted her book back. Her art was something she considered private.

"I never said anything about saving you. I genuinely want to take you to your brother's wedding."

She stopped scuffling and looked him in the face. As far as she could tell he was being sincere, but she mistrusted him all the same. It didn't help that his arm around her waist made her thoughts blur a bit.

"What are you getting out of this?" she asked him suspiciously.

"I get to spend the evening with one of the only pretty girls at Hogwarts that doesn't hate my guts while at the same time giving her a much-needed confidence boost. I heard that your less-than-attractive cousin has a date?" He oozed charm and she could see why damn near every girl at Hogwarts wanted to date him. His grey eyes focused on her, making her feel as though they were the only two people on the planet. The proximity of their bodies only increased that feeling tenfold. She could feel his hard muscles and warm skin under his clothes and she took a breath to steady herself.

"My confidence is just fine, thank you." She insisted, resuming her quest to get her book back.

"If it were, you wouldn't have had a little temper tantrum when you found out your cousin had a date. Yes, James told me about that."

Her struggle stopped again. "Fair point…alright, fine. You can be my date to my brother's wedding. Now can I have my book back?"

"Well, you see, that's another benefit of this situation."

"What is?"

He dropped his head, brushing his lips against her ear, "You're wiggling against me trying to get your book back and you're not wearing a bra." Indeed she wasn't, she was just in a t-shirt. With an affronted scoff, she pushed away from him and he laughed, letting her go and handing her the sketchbook.

He turned back to her once he reached the garden gate, striking a pose as he did. "Those drawings are really very good. Perhaps you could draw me sometime? I'd be more than willing to pose nude for you."

Her answer was to throw a nearby trowel at his head. He laughed and ducked out of the way, closing the gate and walking back home.

Sirius stepped into the house and James immediately accosted him. He looked practically rabid with excitement, his bright brown eyes shining.

"How did it go?" he asked, eager for an answer.

"She said yes. I don't see what the big deal is, mate, you act like we're going to fall madly in love with each other."

"I just felt badly about not being able to take her myself, that's all." In truth, James had thought for a while now that his two best friends were perfectly suited for each other, and he'd cooked up a plot with Lily's help.

"Right."

"C'mon, mate, just admit you're excited. She's not exactly hard to look at."

"That's true. And I haven't already slept with her." Sirius stated casually. In an instant, James had his neck pinned between the door and his forearm, his face an inch away from Sirius'.

"If you treat Hadley like you treat the others, I will personally kick your shaggy arse from here to Inverness. She is not – " here, he applied more pressure to Sirius' throat, "I repeat, _not_ just another one of your conquests is that clear?"

"Fuck, mate, yes. I get it," Sirius croaked, his air supply being cut off.

James remained where he was, the big brother protection urge not fully satisfied, "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now let me go!"

Just before James let Sirius down from the wall, Hadley apparated into the hallway.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked, raising one of her eyebrows at them.

"No, just some good-natured roughhousing. What's up?" James said casually, letting Sirius go and smoothing out his own clothes. She saw Sirius shoot James an angry glare and knew he'd lied, but decided not to pursue it.

"Xander wants to know if you'd like to play Quidditch with us. Two on two?" She explained. Both of the boys' faces lit up like Christmas and they dashed for their brooms, running out the door before giving Hadley an answer.

"I'll take that as a yes then?" she asked the empty room before apparating home.

* * *

An hour into the game the score was tied 9-9, and it was Hadley's turn on Chaser while her brother was their Keeper. Sirius was Chasing for the other team, which was not his strong suit. He was the Gryffindor team's Keeper, while Hadley was a Chaser on the Ravenclaw team. The next goal won the game, and Hadley felt confident. She flew above him, tossing the quaffle lazily from hand to hand.

"What's wrong, Black, getting tired?" she teased down to him. It was hot in the afternoon sun and all of the boys had shed their shirts. Hadley had cast a cooling charm on herself before the game, and felt perfectly comfortable in her brother's old Gryffindor t-shirt and a pair of dangerously short shorts that showed off her gracefully smooth legs.

"You wish, Sinclair. I am simply enjoying the view." He smirked as he shouted up at her.

"Oi!" came from either end of their makeshift pitch as James and Xander both yelled at him.

With that, she made a dash for James, who had anticipated her move and blocked the quaffle with his left arm. Sirius caught the rebound and spun around, heading toward Xander. Hadley followed him closely and, when he wasn't looking, swooped under him, flying upside-down underneath him. He looked down and was momentarily surprised. She used his surprise to her advantage and dislodged the quaffle from under his right arm, reversing play back toward James.

As she approached, she made it look as though she would throw it to his right, but at the last second she hooked the quaffle between her shin and the top of her foot, lobbing it in on his unguarded left side. She heard Xander's cheers from across the field. He was the one who taught her that move and she had never used it in a Hogwarts house game. It was a purely braggart move and tricky to do in a full-on match, so she saved it for occasions such as this.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Sirius shouted, completely dumbfounded. He'd never seen anyone throw the quaffle with her feet before.

"We call it the Sinclair Shuffle. It's highly impractical, but it gets the quaffle through the goal." She shrugged as James and Xander joined them.

"Well played, mates. Care to call it a day? My fiancée and her family are coming over for dinner and I would very much like to not smell like the ass end of a warthog." Xander said, a wide smile on his face.

Hadley groaned. The Katstises were without a doubt the dullest people Hadley had ever met. Sophie was full of life and vibrant, which Hadley only assumed was not her parents' influence. Dinner with them would be a long, painfully boring affair.

This wedding would be the death of her. One mind-numbing event after another culminating in the most mind-numbing event of all; a wedding ceremony. She didn't much care for all of the pomp and circumstance that came with basically signing a piece of paper.

Not that she didn't like her future sister in law. Sophie was pretty and vivacious and sassy; just the kind of girl her brother needed. Xander was outgoing where Quidditch were concerned, but nowhere else. Sophie made him try new things and push his boundaries, while Xander helped reign in some of her more dangerous impulses.

The quartet walked back to their respective houses, the boys chatting about Quidditch the entire way while Hadley got stuck in her reverie. She bid James and Sirius goodnight and went inside, straight up to the shower before Xander could.

Dinner was exactly as boring as Hadley thought it would be, with Mr. Kastis going on and on about his paper-shuffling job at the Ministry and Mrs. Kastis complimenting everything from the meal to the wallpaper. Xander and Sophie excused themselves after dessert to go for a walk in the woods while Hadley excused herself to go walk Rafi.

Whenever they had guests her mother would lock Rafi in her bedroom, but when Hadley went to get him he wasn't there. She checked her parents' room and Xander's, but he wasn't in any of them.

"Mum, did you lock up Rafi?" she yelled down the stairs rudely.

"No dear, I thought you had." Alethea poked her head round the corner and said up to her daughter in a tight voice.

"He's not up here."

"Well did you leave him in the garden?" Alethea suggested as Hadley made her way down the stairs and out into the garden. The dog was nowhere to be seen, but the back gate was open and Hadley's stomach dropped to her feet.

"He's gone! Someone left the garden gate open!" She half-yelled at her mother as she grabbed her wand and a light jacket. She exited the lawn and looked around for any sign of the aged golden retriever, but found none. Upon glancing at the Potter's house she saw that James' bedroom light was on, so she picked up a few pebbles and threw them at the window. Little did she know that the window was open, and the pebbles landed on James' head.

"Ow! Bloody hell, who is throwing rocks at me?" he queried as his head and torso emerged from his window. "Hadley, what are you doing down there?"

"I'm composing a fucking sonnet, what does it look like? Rafi got out. Have you seen him?" she put a hand on her hip. Sometimes the dog would wander over to the Potters' and Mrs. Potter would take him in for a bit. If that weren't the case, Hadley would have to go looking for him in the woods, where he often absconded when the garden gate was left open.

"Erm, no. Haven't seen him all night. Want me to come help look?"

"What is all this racket? I'm trying to get some shut eye over here!" Sirius' head emerged from the window next to James.

"Rafi's gone missing." James explained.

"And Rafi is…?"

"My dog, Black. You know that. He's gone missing and James here was going to help me look. Go back to sleep." She yelled up to him irritably. She heard her own garden door open and close and her mother and father, along with the Kastises, joined her.

"The four of us will go search the village. I've sent a patronus to Xander and Sophie to search the west woods. You take James and search the east woods?" her father assumed as both James and Sirius tumbled out of the Potter's back door, pulling on shoes and coats.

Hadley nodded and as the groups went their separate ways she could hear Mr. Kastis enthusing about the search ahead of them.

The three teens set off for the tree line up the hill, Hadley walking twenty or so paces ahead of the two boys while they quietly devised a plan.

"Think you can sniff him out?" James asked Sirius lowly so Hadley wouldn't hear.

"I think so. I'll have to run back to the garden to catch his scent. Can you distract her?" Sirius nodded his head toward Hadley and James nodded as well.

"I'll lead her toward the pond, meet us there when you've found him."

Once the plan was finalized, James sidled up to Hadley and linked his arm through hers.

"Why so glum, Hadley? He's probably off having a most excellent adventure!" he said cheerily upon noticing Hadley's downtrodden face.

"James, he's thirteen years old, arthritic, and mostly deaf. He's probably lost somewhere, scared and alone and wondering why I'm not there."

The Sinclairs had adopted Rafi (full name Raphael) as a puppy when Hadley was four years old. Initially meant to be a family dog, the pup immediately took to Hadley and she to him. They played together, napped together, explored together, and had in every sense of the word grown up together. The two had been inseparable until Hadley went off to Hogwarts, and even then the dog insisted on sleeping in Hadley's room. For her entire first month at Hogwarts she'd had trouble falling asleep without Rafi curled up at the end of the bed.

Now that he was getting on in years Hadley grew nervous. She knew the day would come when she'd have to say goodbye to her best friend and it was a day she dreaded with every fiber of her being. Tonight's escape had her especially on edge for precisely that reason.

James knew all of this, having also grown up with Hadley, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders supportively.

"He'll be fine. He's a tough old bloke." He comforted, mentally urging Padfoot to hurry up as he saw the shaggy black Animagus disappear into the trees.

"I hope you're right." She disengaged and set out in front of him, igniting her wand tip as the sun had just gone down, the soft colors of twilight replacing the vibrancy of sunset. Hadley and James called the dog's name for nearly an hour before Sirius came back.

With every minute that passed, Hadley's terror grew until it was a black, angry cloud of anxiety in her mind. What if he'd been drinking out of the river and slipped? He'd never been a strong swimmer. Or what if he'd found the Muggle road and gotten hit by a car? These and a million other possibilities ran through her mind before Black emerged from the woods, Rafi following at his heels.

"Rafi!" Hadley yelled, falling to her knees in front of the dog and wrapping her arms around his neck. A few tears of relief fell down her cheeks before she rose to her feet and looked Sirius in the eye.

"The old scamp was just over that ridge there. Probably didn't hear you because he's – oof!" his explanation was interrupted by Hadley diving into his chest and burying her face in his leather jacket.

James saw this from a distance and sent a patronus to find her parents and call off the search before smirking to himself.

His plan was working.

* * *

The next morning, Hadley wondered about giving Sirius a token of her thanks. Remembering what he had said in the garden, she smirked and pulled out her sketchbook, setting to work.

She drew him lazing on a couch, his hands behind his head casually, and bare-ass naked. Except for the fact that she'd replaced his nethers with a very angry-looking fwooper, she thought it was a remarkable likeness. She had a bit of difficulty catching the mischievous glint that often shone in his eyes but eventually she got it and cast a Finishing Charm on the charcoal drawing so it wouldn't smudge, highly satisfied with her work.

She rolled it up like a scroll and tied it with a grey ribbon, sending it over to him via Dunlock, the family owl. She watched the disgruntled bird swoop over to Sirius' window and peck curtly, as if such a task was beneath him.

Sirius opened the window. He took the scroll from the owl and unrolled it, smiling as he did. Across the top of the incredibly accurate drawing (well, except for the angry blue fwooper) Hadley had written, "Thank you, you arrogant bastard."

He laughed and tacked it up on the wall above his bed, along with his posters of Muggle bands that James had introduced him to over the last few years. The Beatles were his current favorite, followed closely by Queen and Electric Light Orchestra.

Little had he known that Hadley was actually the one who'd introduced James to Muggle music. James explained that since her dad worked for the WWN, he was constantly playing around with Muggle radios and listening to Muggle broadcasts. Over the years, Hadley and James had fallen in love with the music she'd heard coming out of the funny little box in her dad's study. Whenever she was home alone she would play her records so loudly that the boys could hear them next door.

Xander's stag party was that night, and both of her parents were working overtime that week, which meant Hadley had the house to herself. She already knew she'd be spending the night in the attic she'd used as her studio. She'd set up her easel and palette, and would mostly paint what she saw in front of her. Various pieces of furniture, old toys, Muggle gadgets that her father had bought with every intention of fixing but never got around to (one was called a telly…whatever that was).

She would drag things to the middle of the room and open the skylights before painting. The room was dusty and smelled like damp fabric, but Hadley loved it. The application of paint to canvas was her passion. She adored drawing, but painting was what she wanted to focus on. Unfortunately, there weren't many opportunities to paint at Hogwarts. No art classes, no clubs, nothing. In spite of this she would roam the grounds with a sketch book when she should've had textbooks, and draw whatever she saw fit. She'd even made a profit drawing caricatures of her professors. The one of Slughorn dancing the tango with Filch had been particularly popular.

There was an old record player in the far corner and a milk crate full of her records. She pulled out The Beatles' _Abbey Road_ and put it on side one, cranking it almost as loud as it would go. The Potters were quite old and went to bed early so she tried to keep it down, but she couldn't resist The Beatles. Hadley opened the few windows there were, including the skylights to let in some of the cool night breeze as she tilted her head back, listening to "Come Together," perhaps her favorite song of the moment.

She let the breeze dance through her hair for a minute before the song changed and she descended into her studio and got to work.

* * *

Sirius was laying on his bed next to the open window when he heard music drift into his bedroom. He looked up from his _Which Broom?_ And saw Hadley's upper half sticking out of the skylight of her house. He watched her run a hand through her silky white-blonde hair and lift her face to the night sky. In the moonlight she looked like a bathing goddess out of Greek mythology and Sirius felt a familiar stirring in his boxers. He momentarily wondered how he had overlooked her for so long.

Not that he was planning on sleeping with her. James would most likely have his hide if he did. Sirius was not the dating type, at least not since Marlene. He would, however, put on a good show at Xander's wedding for her benefit. If he was honest with himself, he was looking forward to going to the wedding with Hadley. She could introduce him to her famous Uncle and they'd dance together, probably drink like sailors on leave. It would be good fun.

He looked out the window again, hoping to catch another glimpse. This time she was gone, but the song "Something" was wafting in through his curtains. He smirked a bit and leaned back on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling and humming along to the song.

* * *

 **The plot thickens! Let me know what you thought in a review!**


	3. A Night Unlike Any Other

**Chapter three! Xander's wedding!**

 **Thank you to everyone who followed this story! I would love to hear what you all think so far. Leave a review!**

* * *

 _ **July 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1977**_

The ceremony was short and sweet, and no one sang opera or read any trite passages from Shakespeare so Hadley considered it quite a success. She walked back up the aisle on Xander's mate Carl Partridge's arm, catching a glimpse of Sirius sitting with James in the back pew. His long black hair was slicked back from his face and he wore impeccably tailored dress robes that had to be made of cashmere. Possibly a remnant of his life at the Blacks, she thought to herself. The sleeves weren't characteristically pushed up to his elbows, which she thought was strange and provided a stark contrast to his habitually casual style. No, tonight Sirius Black was entirely formal. And the look suited him, as if he were born for debutante balls and fancy dinner parties.

He winked at her as she passed and she couldn't help but blush before she reminded herself to cut it out. While he was known for mindlessly shagging girls, he would also snog just about anyone, his mates included. He also wasn't known for keeping his partners around for too long.

The bridal party were spirited away to take pictures while the guests made their way to the reception hall in Bottombrook Manor. The Manor was a gigantic Georgian beauty, built in the late eighteenth century by Godric Hollow's founding family. Over the years, as the family grew and its members died or moved away they'd moved out of the Manor and donated it to the local municipality. The grounds had been turned into a public park that Hadley and James had played in as children; the Manor itself was kept up as a museum of Wizarding life in the eighteenth century and could be rented for weddings or other large gatherings.

Pictures lasted an hour on the Manor grounds, or long enough for Hadley to feel sure her cheeks would fall off from exhaustion, and then the wedding party made their way toward the Manor. The crowd was a little tipsy from the ongoing cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres, and many of them started cheering when they saw the beaming bride and groom enter the room.

Hadley used this opportunity to slip away from Carl, who had been making clumsy passes at her all afternoon and driving her insane. He was one of her brother's best mates at school and kept commenting on how much she'd "grown up." It was rather creepy, so she was intent on talking to whomever else.

What she didn't count on was crashing into her cousin Eleanor and her date, Simon Heatherton. Ellie was wearing a pale yellow dress that matched her yellow hair and only succeeded in making her look paler than she already was. Hadley had always thought that Ellie's unfortunate looks were due to parts of her face either over or under developing. Her ears were much too large, but her nose was small and turned up at a sharp angle, but she had no semblance of a chin.

Simon, who resembled a damp, angry heron, looked as if he'd rather be anywhere else, but managed to make his ill-fitting suit look decent. She was utterly unprepared for encountering them, so she stood there gasping like a fish out of water.

"Hello Hadley." Eleanor led gently.

The sound of her cousin's voice pulled her back to reality and she smiled, "Hello Ellie. Simon, good to see you again! Did you enjoy the ceremony?"

"It was lovely, Xander looks so happy! Doesn't he look happy, Simon?"

"Of course." Simon said stiffly, looking anywhere but towards Hadley. The three stood in a rather awkward silence for a minute before Sirius sidled up next to Hadley, kissing her on the cheek convincingly.

"So sorry I'm late, love, I was waylaid by the bride's great aunt." He explained as he slipped an arm around her waist smoothly.

"That's alright, you're here now. This is my cousin Ellie, and her date Simon. Ellie, this is – "

"Sirius Black, I remember. So good to see you again." Ellie batted her faux eyelashes at Sirius as she offered him her hand, which he shook like a gentleman. Hadley saw Simon bristle.

"You as well, Ellie. Might I say, that is a lovely dress."

"Oh, thank you! Are you and little Hadley here dating?" she asked tactlessly. Hadley rolled her eyes and tried to think of a response.

"We are, actually. Going on what, three months now?" Sirius piped up.

"Oh Hadley, that's so wonderful for you! You know, she's always been a bit of an odd duck our Hadley, always off by herself doodling in her notebooks instead of socializing." Ellie turned to Sirius and mentioned thoughtlessly. Hadley tenses under his hand that now rested at the small of her back.

"I happen to quite like her doodles. She's very talented."

"Oh, we all know that! We've just worried about her future prospects. Not too many careers in art, you know."

"Well, Ellie, it's been lovely to see you again but I think we are being summoned by my parents." Hadley interjected before grabbing Sirius' wrist and pulling him toward the bar. She ordered two firewhiskeys and downed one of them before Sirius could reach for his.

"Whoa, slow down there!" he said, lifting the glass from her hand and leading her a few feet away from the bar. "You want to make a drunken arse of yourself tonight?"

"No, I just want to forget what just happened," She said, wiping her lips with the back of her hand angrily.

"Hey, who cares what she thinks? You look amazing tonight and you've got the most handsome date by far," He winked at her and held out his arm, which she gratefully took. The firewhiskey was hitting her fast, as she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. He led her to the head table and kissed her hand before going to sit in his seat next to James and a very noticeable empty chair.

Dinner was delicious, and afterward the maid of honor and best man gave heartfelt speeches about the bride and groom. Hadley barely listened, her mind a bit swimmy from the firewhiskey and champagne she'd been served upon sitting down at the head table.

Instead, her eyes kept flickering back to James and the empty chair where one Lily Evans was supposed to be. Hadley caught James' eye, looked to the chair next to him, and then gave him a look that asked, 'What the hell?'

He simply shrugged in return and mouthed, "Later."

Had the lovely Miss Evans bailed on James at the last minute? He looked too happy for that. He was up to something, that much was clear. Hadley excused herself from the table once the speeches were over, giving her brother a reassuring squeeze as she passed.

Hadley bellied up to the bar once again and ordered some peppermint tea to help settle her stomach, which was gurgling in a most unflattering way. People got up and started milling about while the six-piece band set up on the far end of the room.

"Back for more, eh? Should I be concerned?" A voice asked from over her shoulder. Hadley turned and met the grizzled visage of her dearest uncle, Alastor Moody. She smiled widely and hugged him tightly. Not one for physical affection, he patted her back stiffly.

"Uncle Al! I wasn't sure you'd make it!" she said, pulling out of the hug mostly for his sake.

"You and I both know your mother would've had my hide if I hadn't shown up." He said good-naturedly, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth (and probably a bit too much alcohol).

"True, but didn't I read something about you taking on four of You-Know-Who's followers by yourself last week and putting them all in Azkaban?"

His face darkened and he grumbled, "Yes, you probably did read that…" He took another swig of the drink he was holding and he perked back up, "But that's nothing compared to my younger sister's wrath."

Hadley smiled kindly at her uncle and regretted bringing up his most recent act of heroism; she could see it upset him. Ever since Lord Voldemort had started gaining support he seemed to slip into bouts of melancholy much easier than he used to. She caught sight of Sirius heading over and waved him down excitedly; it was time to make good on her promise to introduce them.

"Uncle Al, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine!" She said as Sirius approached, "This is Sirius Black, Sirius, this is my Uncle Alastor Moody."

Sirius looked starstruck as he extended his hand. " _The_ Alastor Moody? It's a real pleasure, Sir. I-I'm honored, really." Hadley bit back a laugh. She found the eloquent and oh-so-smooth Sirius Black stumbling over words was oddly satisfying.

"Black, eh? Hmph…nice to make your acquaintance, I suppose. Excuse me." Her uncle grumbled as he made an exit, ignoring Sirius' outstretched hand.

"Well, that could've gone better." Sirius sighed as he pulled his hand back.

"I'm sure it's nothing personal. His job is incredibly stressful…" she offered upon seeing Sirius's faraway look. She looked down at the tea in her hands uncomfortably, searching for something else to say to him.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." He dismissed, sticking his hands in his coat pockets and looking toward the dance floor. "Suppose we should give it a go?"

"Give what a go?" Hadley asked, looking up as he motioned to the dance floor with his eyes, wiggling his brow at her. She laughed, "I am nowhere near drunk enough yet."

"Then let's fix that, shall we?" His eyes flashed deviously and a smirk crossed his lips as he reached over the bar and grabbed a bottle, hiding it under his jacket and urging her out a side door into a garden.

They didn't slow down until they reached a bench on the farther, more secluded side of the garden that faced away from the Manor. When Sirius extracted the bottle from his suit jacket he didn't bother checking the label before he took a swig, nearly choking on the sharp juniper taste of gin.

"Bloody hell," he said between hacking coughs, which made Hadley laugh.

"Can't handle your gin, Black?" she asked, taking the bottle from his hand and sipping on it.

"I can when I'm expecting it! Didn't check the label is all."

"A likely story." She scoffed, nudging him with her elbow. The sun was just about to set, sending the rays of sunset through the trees. She could hear the band start playing a waltz and her thoughts meandered aimlessly over the events of the day. So much happiness, so much joy. So much love.

"Can I ask you a question, Black?"

"Yeah, sure." He said, sipping from the bottle after tossing his long ebony hair back.

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked bluntly.

He answered more quickly than she expected, "Loads of times."

"Really? With who?"

"You want the full list?" he raised his eyebrows at her, surprised that she was not catching on to his joke.

"No, I mean real love," she raised her fingers and made air quotes, "True love."

Sirius sighed and leaned back on his hands, placing the bottle between them.

"Once. But it ended badly and no, I don't want to talk about it." He was absolutely radiant in the twilight, and Hadley could feel the alcohol haze making desire rise within her. She had a brief thought to reach out and stroke his hair, but stopped herself.

"What…what did it feel like?" she asked, a little embarrassed by the question.

"It felt like…my blood was on fire and she was the flames. Every time I saw her, my heart would stop beating and speed up at the same time. I wanted to be as much of everything to her as she was to me but…she didn't feel the same way. Never did, as she so graciously told me just before she broke my heart," he took another swig from the bottle, "No, no, she didn't break my heart. She obliterated it…"

"I'm sorry, you don't have to say any more. I asked because I've been surrounded by the stuff all day and I was just curious…" she looked down at her hands and bit her bottom lip nervously to avoid his stormy grey gaze.

"What about you, Sinclair? Ever experienced the soul-crushing agony of being in love?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What about that tosser you were seeing all last year? That Edgecombe bloke?"

"Leo, and I most certainly did not love him."

"But you shagged him?" The gin was beginning to loosen Sirius' tongue and he didn't care. He wanted to solve the case of Miss Hadley Sinclair and this was the most she'd ever opened up to him. Hell, he was pretty sure this was the longest conversation they'd ever had and he wasn't sick of it yet, which was promising.

"I don't see what business that is of yours." She could feel the telling blush creep into her cheeks and she turned her face away from him.

"You did, you saucy minx! You shagged him when you didn't love him!" Sirius pushed himself back upright and pointed at her accusingly.

She shoved his finger away defensively, "Oh and I suppose you loved every one of the girls you've shagged?"

"What do you mean _every_ one?" He scooted closer to her.

"Oh please, Black, everyone knows you've shagged your way through half our class!" She retreated from his advance.

"Oh and I suppose every rumor about you is true?" He scooted closer again.

And again she backed away, not knowing how close she was to the edge of the stone bench, "So it's not true?"

"Well…not _half_ the class. Thirty-five, forty percent, tops! And maybe the same of the class above and below."

She barked out a laugh, "Ha! Gotcha!" she reveled in her victory for a bit before continuing, "Wait a second, what rumors are there about me?"

"Well there was that embarrassing ordeal at the Valentine's Day party not two years ago…"

"I did _not_ slip him love potion! Merlin, when will people let that go?" He took her momentary distraction to move even closer, "Why do you keep getting closer to me?" she demanded.

"Because you look incredible, and you smell amazing, and you're letting me." He leaned his face closer to hers and she leaned away from him.

"I'm not…" She couldn't help but notice how close he was, and the musky, woody smell of his cologne, and how lonely she'd felt over the last few weeks, and how much she wanted to kiss him…

"Oi! You two!" James yelled from up the path a ways, "Dancing's started! Get your asses back in here!"

Sirius groaned but pulled back, lifting himself to his feet and holding out his hand for Hadley to take.

"Are you drunk enough yet?" he asked, a smirk gracing his handsome features.

She grinned and took his hand, lifting herself to her feet. Apparently she was more intoxicated than she realized, because she stumbled a bit. If it weren't for Sirius' strong arms, she would've fallen flat on her face. Giggling wildly, she looked up at her date.

"I guess I am."

"Well then, let's get in there!" Sirius laughed, leading her back toward Bottombrook Manor.

The dancing would've been more fun, in Hadley's opinion, if the band had played more Muggle tunes. But at an all-wizard function, what could she expect?

She and Sirius and James twirled about the dance floor, alternating partners between the three of them. Hadley laughed like mad when Sirius attempted to teach James how to tango, only to regret her teasing when Sirius tried to teach her the same. She wasn't the most coordinated person in the first place, and the addition of alcohol didn't help at all.

"Short, short, long – ow!" Sirius said as she stepped on his foot for the umpteenth time. She winced along with him.

"Sorry!"

"'S alright. Only a flesh wound. But just for safety's sake, why don't we go sit for a bit?" He suggested, dropping her hands and ushering her over to the table where he and James had sat for dinner.

James was sitting there, shoulders slumped and reading a crumpled piece of parchment that he clutched in his hand. As she approached, she clapped James on the shoulder and sat in the chair that was supposed to be for Miss Lily Evans. James straightened and shoved the parchment into his pocket, greeting his friends as they sat on either side of him.

"So, Jamie, as it happens I am no more sure-footed than you are." She admitted, taking a sip of water from the untouched glass in front of her.

"Yeah, both of you are bloody rubbish. You'd never survive in the upper echelons of wizard society." Sirius said in a mock-haughty tone, a wolfish grin crossing his face.

"Good thing we've got you, then, mate." James said, tilting his glass toward Sirius mirthlessly. His hazel eyes were clouded, his brow slightly droopy, and Hadley knew that something was bothering him.

She put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing it gently this time. "James, what's wrong?"

"Lily bailed on me." He admitted reluctantly, "Said she's sick but...I'm sure we all know that's just a lame excuse. She didn't want to come in the first place, I should just give it up."

"Of course you should!" Hadley exclaimed.

"Don't you dare, mate!" Sirius said. The two looked at each other and asked, "What?!"

"She clearly doesn't want to be with him! He should give it up and move on!" Hadley insisted, as she had been for a long while now. She hated watching her best friend make a fool of himself for a girl who had made her non-interest in him quite clear many times over. There was nothing she wanted more than to see James happy, but Lily Evans was not the answer.

"Oh, sod off with that! Prongs-y here will wear her down eventually!" Sirius was trying to cheer James up, and one of the surefire ways to do that was to keep up his hope that Lily would come around. The fiery redhead had drunkenly confessed to Sirius that she fancied the messy-haired Quidditch captain at the end-of-term party he'd thrown in the Astronomy Tower not one month ago, she was most definitely sick if she had missed their date.

"The definition of insanity is doing something over and over and expecting a different result. Given the sheer number of times he's asked her out and she's denied him, James should be in a mental asylum. No offense, James." Hadley countered.

"None taken," he sighed again, much like he did when he was upset. Hadley pulled him into a side-hug and kissed his temple. "It was stupid of me to think this time would be any different." He said as he slumped against Hadley's shoulder, accepting her pity because he felt pitiful.

"But it was different!" Sirius insisted, "She said yes!"

James pulled away from Hadley a bit, "Yeah, yeah, she did!" She could see his eyes brightening again with false hope.

"I saw the letter, mate, she was excited to come! She's got to be ill." Sirius encouraged while Hadley narrowed her eyes at him. James shrugged her arm off his shoulders and faced Sirius.

"She's got to be! Oh, I'm such a prat! I should write her, shouldn't I?"

"Yes, you should. Right away, go get your coat, I'll meet you by the door." Sirius cheered, nodding his head in the direction of the door. James scarpered off in that direction, leaving Hadley staring daggers at Sirius.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded, drumming her fingertips on the table.

"Do what?"

"Encourage him! Clearly she's not interested or she would be here tonight!" she insisted. Sirius leaned back in his chair, calmly confident with his secret knowledge.

"Because there's more to that situation than you know."

"Oh yeah, like what?"

"Sorry, love, sworn to secrecy."

"Well, he's made a complete arse of himself in nearly every possible way for her and she doesn't do the same. He should cut his losses and move on." She stated plainly. Her hairdo was starting to hurt, her feet were throbbing from the dancing, and the alcohol buzz was turning into the beginnings of a hangover, so she wasn't in the mood to sugarcoat her opinions.

"Perhaps that cynical attitude is the reason you've never been in love."

His words caught her attention and she snapped her icy blue gaze on him. Her brow furrowed in offense, "Excuse me?"

"Love requires vulnerability, an ability to…bend, if you will. Cynics, such as yourself, are much too brittle to bend."

"So now I'm brittle?"

"Or bitter, whichever you prefer."

She didn't bother with a response, other than leaping to her feet and throwing the glass of water in his face before stomping away. Dashing past James, she started walking home despite leaving her jacket behind and the nighttime chill.

She wasn't bitter. Hadley had always hoped that true love existed, she just hadn't seen it for herself. Sure, her best girl friend Rachel claimed that she knew what she and Roger had was true love, but her friend had also said that about Henry Werner in their fourth year. Rachel was a bit boy-crazy, come to think of it, and flighty. Perhaps her definition of true love was little more flexible than Hadley's.

Was what her parents had true love? Was it what Xander and Sophie had? It was difficult to assess these things from the outside. Love was such a big emotion, she didn't want to waste it on just anyone.

And how dare Sirius Black, (serial dater, heartbreaker, notorious flirt) call her bitter because she hadn't been willing to fall in love with the wrong person? In Hadley's opinion, he gave his heart too easily. What the French would call un _coeur d'artichaut_. He had loved so deeply, only to be rejected. No wonder he had a different girl in his bed every weekend; it was his coping mechanism.

Hadley rubbed her arms to ward off the chill, but it didn't help much. She cursed herself for leaving her coat behind. Her wand was in the pocket, too, so she couldn't summon it with a simple flick of the wrist. Sighing, she paused in the middle of the dirt lane that led back to town and considered going back for it.

No, she decided, she would get it tomorrow. She'd had cake and danced and done her duty as sister of the groom and bridesmaid, there was no point in returning if Sirius was still there.

She took off down the lane again, quickening her pace in order to get home faster and out of the chill. Sirius' accusation kept ringing in her head and she couldn't help shedding a tear, which she quickly brushed away. There was no way she would be brittle _and_ weak.

Brittle, bitter, unworthy. He seemed to see her as her parents did, which hurt a little. She and Sirius weren't the best of friends, and now they would never be. If this was what he really thought of her, then she would just have to avoid him from here on out.

The butterflies in her stomach be damned.

* * *

 **So Sirius was a jerk, James was a starry-eyed romantic, and Hadley was stubborn. At least, that's my take on the situation. Let me know what your thoughts are!**

 **Also, check my profile for more information about who I've "cast" in the roles of the Marauders/Hadley and her Family. I think most of you will love the choices I made :)**

 **Leave a review and I'll be forever grateful!**


	4. August 1993

**Time Warp chapter! This is the first chapter that takes place in the timeframe of the books, and it won't be the last. There will be periodic flash-forwards to the book timeline, and will hopefully provide some more insights into Hadley and her story.**

 **Thanks to all who followed/favorited, and especially to my reviewers! Olly(guest) and essie the fangirl, you two are wonderful human beings and I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far!**

 **Chapter Four, here we go!**

* * *

 _ **August 26, 1993**_

Hadley took a breath and braced herself; she hadn't used magic in a long while, so attempting to Apparate was probably a rather large mistake. However, she didn't own any Floo Powder or a broomstick and didn't have any wizard currency, so the Knight Bus was out. There were no trains to Godric's Hollow, and cab fare would be astronomical. Apparating to her childhood home was her only option.

"Wish me luck, Milo," she said to her dog, who was sitting like the good boy he was, but his eyes were sad in only the way a dog's could be. The Australian Shepherd seemed depressed that he wasn't going along. It was the celebration of Xander's promotion to Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, and she was going to give Marigold a belated birthday gift, as she'd been in Paris for her eldest niece's birthday two months prior. Hadley made sure Marigold's gift was securely tucked into her messenger bag and gripped her unused wand tightly, bid Milo goodbye, and exhaling as she turned on the spot.

The familiar sucking and crushing feeling was an unwelcome one, but she opened her eyes to discover that she'd arrived just outside the garden gate and hadn't been splinched. She took a moment to look up and down the street for nostalgia's sake, but almost immediately regretted it. The Potter's old house looked sad and empty, having been uninhabited since James and Lily moved to London after Fleamont and Euphemia died. The house that they lived in upon their return to the village was a few streets away; a relic, with the top floor still blown apart and a plaque on the front gate.

Hadley could see herself at age twelve, running down the street with James and Rafi on her heels. She and James and Sirius walking down to the pub for butterbeers, then staggering back after a few too many firewhiskeys, singing horrifically off-tune versions of the songs they'd heard on the Muggle radio. "T.N.T" by AC/DC and a drunken medley of Queen songs had been their favorites. In the park up the street she could see the tree she'd fallen out of and broken her arm when she was eight. Her mother hadn't noticed anything was wrong until Hadley wouldn't reach for the pepper at dinner that night.

She had avoided this place for a reason; a million reasons, actually.

"Auntie Hadley!" a child's voice shouted, pulling her back to the present. A black-haired, tawny-eyed girl no more than nine years old was bounding toward her, arms outstretched. Hadley bent over to receive the hug from her youngest niece, Annie.

"Annie!" She said as she swooped the skinny girl up into her arms. She knew she wasn't supposed to play favorites, but Annie was undoubtedly her favorite of her brother's children. Taking after her father, she was a young Gryffindor-in-the-making, but she was sharp as a tack and inadvertently funny. "How in the heck have you been?"

Hadley put the girl back on the ground and she excitedly started going on and on about the neighbor's cat having kittens and giving each of the Sinclair children one.

"Since Marigold has our owl for school, her kitten is going to stay home. Jasper is taking his to school though. I think my kitten will miss him."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, our kittens are brothers and Jasper's my brother and I miss him when he goes to school." Annie explained in one breath. Hadley smiled, finding her niece's logic to be sound. "Did you miss my daddy when he went off to Hogwarts without you?"

"Nah, your dad was a prat." She teased, watching Annie's eyes grow wide.

"You said a bad word!"

"That I did. Don't tell your mum, okay?" Annie nodded conspiratorially as Hadley opened the front door and entered her childhood home. "What's your kitten's name?"

Annie smiled proudly, "Sirius Black!"

Hadley froze, unsure she'd heard her niece correctly. "E-excuse me?"

"Don't you _know_ who Sirius Black is? He's only in the Prophet _every day_!" Annie gasped at her aunt while Sophia bustled to the door to greet Hadley. "And my kitten has managed to get out of my room three times already! Isn't that clever, Auntie Hadley?"

"Sure is, kid. What's this about Sirius?" she questioned her sister-in-law with a sharp edge to her voice.

"Annie, dear, why don't you go see if Hannah and her family are coming to the party?" Sophia suggested in the Mum sort of way where it wasn't a suggestion at all. Annie's face brightened and she bounded out the door and up the street before Hadley could even get her coat off.

"Sophie, what's going on? Why is Sirius in the papers all of a sudden?"

Her sister-in-law sighed, but didn't answer.

"Sophia, tell me what's going on!" Hadley demanded. She could feel panic start to rise in her throat like bile. Could Sirius have escaped Azkaban? No, that was impossible. Azkaban was impenetrable, inside and out. But what if he had? If anyone could do it, that impossible bastard could. Was he coming after her?

Oh Merlin, she thought in one stomach-dropping moment, what if he's dead? He was surely dead. He had tried to escape, but the dementors had gotten to him and torn his soul, his beautiful, loyal soul, from his tortured body. Hadley felt light-headed and leaned against the wall behind her.

Xander appeared at his wife's side and looked at Hadley, an uneasy look in his brown eyes. "We were waiting to tell you…"

"Waiting for what? No one's told me anything!" Her voice was getting frantically high-pitched, so Xander grabbed her arm and led her into what used to be their father's study, but was now Sophia's office. Xander cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door, which only made Hadley more nervous.

"Hadley, Sirius has escaped from Azkaban." He stated simply, crossing his arms across his broad Quidditch-playing chest after running a hand through his sandy blonde hair. She let out a breath she wasn't sure she'd been holding before Xander continued. "No one knows where he is, but a source from the Auror office told me they think he's heading to either London or Hogwarts. And he's got revenge on his mind."

At the word revenge, Hadley could feel the blood drain from her face and her hands started shaking. Leave it to Sirius to do the impossible.

"You think he's coming after me?"

Her brother nodded. "I asked you to come early because someone wanted to speak with you about that."

"Who?"

Xander nodded his head back toward the large red wooden desk and, in a move that was taken directly out of a James Bond movie, the chair spun around to reveal Professor Albus Dumbledore, clutching a small night-black kitten. If she wasn't currently terrified for her own life, she would've found it comical.

"You are a difficult woman to find, Miss Sinclair." Her old headmaster said gently, letting the kitten bounce off of his lap and scamper across the desk. It sat at the door meowling, so Xander let it out.

"Purposefully, I assure you." She agreed, her face darkening despite its current pale shade. Her hands clenched into fists in the presence of Albus Dumbledore; her anger at him coming out of hibernation full-force.

"Yes, your time in Azkaban would surely explain your withdrawal from the magical community. But from what your brother tells me, you've done well for yourself."

Fuck, he was patronizing. He was referring to her career, surely. Her personal life was nothing to brag about. She had a few close friends and occasionally went out with some of the other professors at University College London, but there was no boyfriend or husband to speak of. Not counting her rare hook-ups with Remus, of course. It had been nearly a year and a half since she'd seen him last, though, so she didn't count it.

"I have, I guess. Not that it matters when an escaped mass murderer is trying to hunt you down."

"We have no indication of his intentions yet, Miss Sinclair. However, both your brother and I think it best if you seek protection at Hogwarts this year. We are bringing on…extra security measures because of Black's escape." Dumbledore explained, choosing his words carefully. He was always political in that way, Hadley remembered bitterly as her eyes flicked from Dumbledore to Xander and back again. How dare her brother bring this man here. How dare he think she would want his help.

"I can't, professor. I've got my job at the university, my dog, my work…I can't just up and leave." She replied calmly, as if that were the only reason she had for not wanting to go back to Hogwarts. In reality, the thought of going back made her stomach churn. What kinds of memories would resurface when she was there?

"We've already thought about that, Had." Xander said from behind her.

"Indeed we have. Miss Sinclair, I am pleased to offer you the recently established Hogwarts Distinguished Artist Fellowship. I've noticed some of the paintings are rather old and out of date, and would like to have you come spruce up the place a bit with a few new paintings. Your room, board, and materials would be completely covered, along with a stipend of fifteen thousand galleons."

Hadley could feel her eyes popping out of their sockets. Fifteen thousand galleons worked out to be about seventy five thousand pounds, which was more money than she'd ever seen all at once. It was a little more than what she would earn from her teaching job and private commissions in a year. She felt like they could probably see the gears turning in her head, considering her options. Let them look. Let them doubt her rationality; for Albus Dumbledore, that was nothing new.

"And what about my dog? Am I going to have to leave him behind because if so - " No way in hell was she going to leave Milo behind. He was one of her only constants, and helped her calm her more severe anxiety attacks. Milo was as much of a necessity as he was her family.

"Milo would be most welcome at Hogwarts for the duration of your time there." Dumbledore said with a small smile, using the dog's name even though Hadley hadn't told it to him. It wasn't surprising, Xander had probably mentioned it. Still, she couldn't help the flash of resentment at the headmaster being so familiar with her.

"Hadley, this is your best option. Your magic is rusty at best, you don't stand a chance against Black if he corners you." Xander reasoned.

"My magic is just fine, thank you. I apparated here no problem. I've also got a few protective spells around my flat and studio that haven't failed me yet." She argued like a child, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. Pride wouldn't let her give in so easily. Dumbledore smiled from his spot behind the desk.

"If it will help sway you, Remus Lupin has just agreed to be our new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. For nearly the same reason as you."

"So you're just going to round up all of the people Sirius might go after and put us in one place? That won't make it easier for him at all!" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her stomach lurched at Remus' name. There were a lot of feelings there, a lot of unresolved things that upon Sirius's escape, she now realized, became a hell of a lot more complicated.

"Well it's better than him picking you off one by one where no one can protect you! Hadley, listen to reason! Sirius is a dangerous man, only made more so by years in Azkaban - !" Xander raised his voice at her and for a second reminded Hadley very much of their father. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dumbledore reach into his overlarge sleeve, as if to extract something.

She interrupted her brother, pulling the collar of her shirt down to reveal the dark black tattoos that marked her as a prisoner, "Don't you think I know that? I was only there for a year and it nearly drove me insane, I can only imagine what _twelve_ does to a person!"

"It does this." Dumbledore said calmly, laying the front page of The Daily Prophet on the desk in front of him. Hadley picked it up and felt as if someone had reached into her chest and was trying to crush her heart in his fist.

Sirius was laughing maniacally in the mug shot, his black hair matted and his once expressive grey eyes were wild with madness. There were lines on his face, deeper than the ones on hers, and he looked…broken. This was not her Sirius, the one she had loved so madly. Nor had she expected him to be, but she hadn't expected the psychotic intensity that emanated from the photo. If he was out for revenge, he would surely get it or die trying. Perhaps Hogwarts was her best option…

"No fucking thanks to you," she muttered, shoving the paper back at her former headmaster. She reached into her bag and extracted Marigold's present, shoving it into her brother's hands, "Give my apologies to Marigold, it seems I've got to go home and pack."

Xander's creased face relaxed and Dumbledore smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously. "I will send you the details when I get back to the school."

She nodded at the headmaster and shot her brother a distasteful glance, upset that he had gotten his way. She turned on the spot and apparated home, again avoiding being splinched. Her first action was to redo the protective spells over her flat as Milo welcomed her home. Once they were securely in place, she fed the dog his dinner and set to packing. Since she owned her flat, she figured she could leave her furniture and a good number of her belongings. Her mind was buzzing as she made a mental to-do list, not looking forward to having to explain to her muggle friends why she was suddenly moving away.

Her frenetic thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. Hadley froze. Milo's attention turned to the door, his ears perking up adorably. Another knock sounded and she snatched her wand off the kitchen counter where she'd stashed it. Creeping to the door as quietly as possible she looked through the peephole, Milo at her heels.

The dark-skinned man outside her door was obviously a wizard, as he was wearing a dark red robe with the phases of the moon embroidered in gold thread. She opened the door, keeping her wand aloft so he could see that she had it.

"Hadley Sinclair?" he asked. His voice was deep and soothing and vaguely familiar.

"That's me. Who're you?" she demanded warily.

"I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt, I work for the Auror office at the Ministry of Magic. Am I to understand that you were once acquainted with Sirius Black?" He asked, flashing his credentials.

"Yes."

"I see you've also put up a few protection spells. Very wise, in your situation." He appraised her handiwork as she tried to keep Milo in the flat.

"And what is my situation?" she asked.

"We should discuss this inside."

Hadley internally cursed herself as she stepped aside, pulling Milo aside by his dark leather collar, "Of course, please come in Mister…Shacklebolt, was it?"

"Yes, thank you." He walked in and looked around as she closed the door. As he settled in her living room, she escorted a restless Milo to her bedroom, locking him in so he couldn't disrupt the impending conversation, conjuring a squeaky toy to entertain him. Shacklebolt was looking around her living room appraisingly, "I've just got a couple of questions for you, if you wouldn't mind."

"No, not at all." She said as he reached into his robe and took out a pad of paper and a quick-quotes quill.

"This is Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, speaking to subject on the twenty-sixth of August, 1993, at," he checked his pocket watch, "seven forty-three at night. Would you state your name, date of birth, and occupation for the record?"

"Erm…Hadley Olympia Sinclair, November sixth 1959, I am a professor of art at University College London and I am also under contract at the Gallagher Gallery in Soho." She said, watching as the floating quill scribbled down her answers.

"Thank you, now onto the matter at hand." He said, "Have you heard anything about Sirius Black recently?"

"I just heard that he escaped Azkaban this afternoon."

"And from whom did you hear it?"

"My brother, Xander Sinclair."

"You didn't hear anything about it beforehand?"

"What do you mean beforehand?"

"Before he escaped." What was he insinuating? That she had helped Sirius escape?

"No, of course not. I've always been under the impression that Azkaban was impenetrable. Especially when I was there."

"You had a relationship with Black before he went to Azkaban, did you not?" Shacklebolt asked, eyeing her suspiciously and ignoring her comment about her time.

"I did."

"What was the extent of that relationship?"

"We were in a committed relationship. We lived together. It was rather serious."

"How did it end?"

"Oh, I think that part of the story everyone knows." She said bitterly, not liking the way he was treating her; like she was a suspect. Because she'd been to Azkaban and had been Sirius' girlfriend, that made her his accomplice. That kind of stigma was exactly why she'd left the wizarding community.

"Not your side. Would you please tell it for the record?" It wasn't a request, so she sighed.

"James and Lily Potter died. Sirius and I went over and saw the...scene…when we weren't given any information, and Hagrid took Harry away, his heart broke. He lost his mind and ran away. I worried that he would do something stupid or hurt himself on his motorbike, so I apparated to my uncle Alastor Moody's house and begged him to find Sirius. He did, but it was…too late. My uncle took Sirius to Azkaban under orders from the Minister and I haven't seen or heard from him since."

"And, for the record, could you state the reason you served time in Azkaban?"

She gritted her teeth, "Don't you have that on record somewhere already? As I understood, the Auror office kept meticulous records."

"We need to have it in the official transcript of this conversation because it may have something to do with Black's motives. We believe that he is likely to target those who had done him wrong before he went to prison." He looked at her, the suspicion in his tone dissipating slightly.

She didn't want to dig up the past; it had taken her years of Muggle therapy and separating herself from the community she'd grown up in to get past it. She still had the occasional nightmare or panic attack, mostly about the dementors. Other times it was about her thoroughly unstable cellmate, or the screams. She would never forget the screams. How they echoed through the halls at all hours, carving themselves into her very bones. The tattoos along the left side of her neck prickled at the memory.

She took a deep breath to ward off the edge of a panic attack and said slowly, "I tried to prove Sirius was innocent by getting him a trial, and the Minister didn't like it. The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot seemed to agree. I tried to get Sirius a trial, a hearing, anything, but they wouldn't listen."

"That doesn't exactly warrant a trip to Azkaban. What were you arrested for?"

"I broke into the Department of Mysteries and stole Sirius' arrest file. I was caught, arrested, and spent the next year in Azkaban. However, unlike Sirius I was given a trial."

"Thank you. Do you have any idea where Sirius Black is or where he's headed?"

"No. Not a clue."

"Do you think he will come after you?"

"I don't know."

"Well obviously you do, if you're packing. Might I ask where you're going?"

"Erm…I've just gotten offered a fellowship at Hogwarts."

"Sounds exciting, I wish you the best of luck." He said, "Interview terminated, seven fifty in the evening." That's when he put the quick-quotes quill and pad of paper away and smiled. Hadley was confused.

"What-?"

"Dumbledore sent me. I am supposed to give you this," he reached into his robe and extracted a letter, handing it to her. "And tell you that he's happy with your decision to join him at Hogwarts this year. He's looking forward to having you there."

She was dazed as she took the letter from him. "Okay…So…the interview?"

"A convenient cover, though I did need to get it. Sorry to make you relive Azkaban. I've only been there a few times, but it was enough to scare me off wrongdoing for a lifetime." He said congenially.

"Funny, I would have thought that was your choice of career." She snarked at him as he made a move for the door.

He laughed, "Dumbledore mentioned you were funny. Read that letter tonight before it self-destructs."

"Will do. Thanks for coming by." She said as he left her flat. Recasting the protective charm, she made sure to deadbolt and chain her door shut as well before opening the letter.

She and Milo were going to Floo to the school ahead of the students' arrival. Dumbledore would personally hook up the fireplace in his office to the one in her living room and meet her there, then magically transport her belongings to the school.

Excitement rose in her stomach, butterflies fluttering around like mad. She was going back to the one place that felt more like home than home did. It would be strange to see it as an adult, and even stranger to see the children of the people she went to school with. Harry would obviously be there, along with Frank and Alice's boy, Neville.

She wondered which one of his parents Harry looked more like. As a baby he'd had a thick crop of black hair, but his eyes were light like Lily's. It had been too early to tell whom he would look like, but she'd always seen more of James in his features. A pang hit her when she thought about James's son. He would be thirteen now, officially a teenager. Had it really been that long? Twelve years since her best friend and his wife had died. Twelve years since the love of her life was taken away to hell on earth without so much as a hearing. Twelve years since she realized that she couldn't trust Albus Dumbledore and her uncle Alastor Moody.

She sighed, moving into the kitchen and making some coffee. She had a lot to do in the next forty-eight hours.

* * *

 **Next chapter is back to 1977!**

 **Let me know what you think about our time hop to 1993 in a review!**


	5. Helping And The Like

**Chapter 5 is here and with it, our return to 1977! I hope you all liked our little flashforward. It will happen again, don't worry!**

 **Thank you to all who had Followed this story! Are you are as excited as I am about new chapters?**

 **Special thanks to mazeygrace18 for the review on Chapter 4! I'm glad you're curious about Hadley's future! You'll see a bit more of it soon, I promise.**

 **Anyway, back to Hadley's present with Chapter 5.**

* * *

 _ **July 28th, 1977**_

In the weeks after the wedding, Hadley avoided James and Sirius by locking herself in her house, only leaving to take Rafi for walks and only doing so under an invisibility charm. During that time, she let her anger at Sirius and her frustration with James fuel one of her manic creating phases, where she could churn out canvas after canvas for days.

On the third day of her mania, she was rehanging a bust of Julius the Unsteady from the ceiling so he would stop turning about and ruining her painting. Balancing precariously on one foot on an old stool, she was trying to reach the hook on the wall that would secure the bust. It occurred to her, much too late, that this process would be much simpler with magic. She wobbled on the stool and nearly toppled over, but she caught herself just in time.

A loud 'pop' from behind her made her stand up much too quickly, and she fell backward off the stool, yelping and squeezing her eyes shut. Instead of hitting the hard floor beneath her, a pair of strong arms caught her.

"Didn't expect you to fall for me so quickly, Sinclair." Sirius's voice rang through the attic studio as Hadley's eyes shot open. Sirius Black's perfectly bowed lips were pulled back into a smug smirk as her feet found the floor and she rose out of his grasp and brushed herself off.

"Trust me Black, the odds of me falling for you are rather slim. Especially after what you said at my brother's wedding," she said, straightening her shirt and suddenly very aware that she hadn't showered in three days and she must look a mess.

"Right, that's why I'm here. I acted like a right prick and I'm...sorry," he said, his smirk disappearing and his eyes falling to the floor, where a bouquet of wildflowers lay. He bent down and picked them up, holding them out to her.

"You brought me flowers?" she asked incredulously, crossing her arms in front of her.

Sirius took a step closer, "Look, we had a great time...well, at least, I thought we had a great time -"

"We did," she affirmed, his humility redeeming him a bit. The fact that he was wearing a rather tight The Doors t-shirt wasn't hurting his case either.

"I'm glad you think so. Anyway, we were having a great time and, if I hadn't opened my fat mouth and said something hurtful, I think I would've called it one of my better nights. So, by way of apology, I picked these flowers for you," he shook the bouquet a bit for emphasis, "And brought these caramels. James said they are your favorite." From behind his back he produced a small box of Williams' Salted Caramels, holding both of them out to her.

"You picked these flowers?" she asked, taking the apology gifts from him.

"From the field on the other side of the wood, yeah." he said, placing his fingers on his hips attractively. "So...am I forgiven?"

Hadley sighed, "Well, when I have the fittest guy in school personally pick me flowers it's rather difficult to say no."

The smug smirk returned as he shifted his weight onto his left leg, "Good. Cuz there was another reason I'm here."

"Of course! An ulterior motive! I might've known," Hadley said, crossing to the table in the corner and putting her gifts down amongst the spent tubes of paint, dirty rags, and other art debris. "What is it?"

"James has thoroughly lost his mind. Lily wrote him and asked if she could take him on a makeup date for missing your brother's wedding." He moved to follow her, but stopped in front of one of her drying canvases. "Did you paint this?" he asked, pointing at it. The old, squashy purple armchair was a frequent subject of hers, and this one was nothing special; a quick, slapdash study for future reference.

"No, it was Father Christmas. 'Course it was me," she snarked at him, throwing the bouquet into a half full glass of water.

"You've got quite the talent," he muttered, "Anyway, he's got all his clothes on the floor trying to find something to wear, he's threatened to curse off his hair cuz he can't get it to lay flat, and I think he's about to go round the bend. Will you help me?"

"Yeah, give me a minute and I'll be over."

"Thanks, Sinclair." he said, looking as if he would apparate, then paused as he grabbed one of the smaller, dry canvases. "I think I'll take this one with me."

"I'll bill you for it," she said as he apparated with a 'pop'. Curious as to which one he took, she did a quick inventory, only to find that he had taken one of her self-portraits. She rolled her eyes as she covered her palate and capped the open paints before apparating after him.

Black hadn't been exaggerating, James's room was a disaster zone. It seemed like every piece of clothing he had had been shot out of his closet. She had to carefully maneuver around the button-downs and t-shirts that littered his floor, not to mention the mountain on the bed and the surprisingly small pile on the wingback chair in the far corner of his room. James Potter didn't usually look it, but he had an impressively large wardrobe for a teenage boy.

"Izzat you, Hadley?" he yelled from his ensuite bathroom. She could hear the sink running and Sirius's voice.

"Don't do it, mate. You'll regret it later!" Sirius argued as Hadley approached the bathroom door. James had a towel around his shoulders and his wand pointing at his head, a book of charms propped up on the sink in front of them.

"What in the hell is happening here?" she asked, leaning against the door frame.

"Hadley! I've got a date with Lily and my hair won't cooperate and I can't find anything suitable to wear and need your help to shave it all off or I'm not going," James said all in one breath. His glasses were askew on his nose and she could definitely see what Sirius had meant. His pupils were dilated and she could see a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. Her heart went out to him; he was finally getting his big chance.

Hadley stepped forward, putting a hand on either of his shoulders and forcing him to face her. "James, you need to relax. Sirius mentioned that _she's_ taking _you_ out?"

"Yeah, brilliant that she asked me, isn't it? We're going to dinner and then a muggle thing called a movie, whatever that is." His voice was less manic now, and she could feel his shoulders relax a bit. Good thing too, as her arms were getting tired. James was quite a bit taller than she was.

"Good, that sounds like fun. Now, why the hell are you so nervous?"

James's face fell slack as if he had been hit by a confundus charm, "Wh-why? Because she's the fittest, smartest girl in our year! She's absolutely incredible and I don't deserve to look at her let alone date-!"

Hadley shut him up with a brisk slap across the face.

"Oi!" James said, rubbing his cheek as Sirius failed to hide his barking laughter, "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"You need to stop that," She explained, staring him straight in the eye.

"Stop what?"

"Putting her on a pedestal. She's just as human as you are, and I bet she's just as nervous too," she explained, "So relax."

Sirius's laughter quieted, "Yeah, mate. Just try to forget that she's the girl you've had a crush on since you were fourteen, it'll be fine."

"You are not helping," Hadley snapped at him before looking back at James, "So take off the towel, put down your wand, and go sit on your bed while I run back to my place for supplies."

"Supplies?" James queried, mild panic in his voice, "What, like makeup and stuff?"

"No, you idiot. I'm just going to grab some stuff to tame your wild mane." she ruffled his hair, "Ya crazy Gryffindor."

He swatted her hand away, laughing along with her as he reached for the towel. "Okay, okay."

"And where am I in all this?" Sirius asked from his spot further into the bathroom.

Hadley shrugged, "Staying out of my way and keeping your mouth shut." She didn't wait for a response before apparating into her bedroom and grabbing her bottle of Sleakeasy's hair potion. If she could get enough of it in James's poofy mop of hair, she might be able to make it manageable. Right before she apparated back to the Potter's, she grabbed some firm-hold gel. Just in case.

An hour later she'd only managed to give his tousled locks a bit more texture and a more purposeful disheveled look. After digging through his closet, she'd settled on a pair of dark wash jeans, a plain white button down, and his trademark bright red trainers that he'd streaked with gold paint the previous summer.

"You should bring a jacket." she said when she was finished, standing back to admire her work.

James shrugged, "Why? It's nice out."

Hadley rolled her eyes, but before she could respond Sirius chimed in.

"Because once it gets dark it'll get chilly and you can offer her your jacket like a gentleman," he said from his post on the wingback in the corner where Hadley had banished him.

"Oh, right," James said, his cheeks turning pink and his hand rising to pull at his hair. Hadley slapped his hand away before he could do any damage.

"You should bring her something. Flowers, maybe?" she suggested in a tone that meant she wasn't really suggesting.

"Right! I was thinking about bringing her some lilies from my dad's garden!" James's face lit up and Hadley nodded.

"Good. If that's all, I will wish you good luck and be on my way."

Hadley was surprised when she received sounds of protest from both of the boys in the room.

"Don't go, Had!"

"Yeah, don't you want to wait up for him so you can hear how it goes?" Sirius asked, a strange, beseeching look in his eyes.

"I've got a dog waiting at home for his walk. Tell you what, you can take me out to breakfast tomorrow morning and tell me all about it, yeah?" She twerked James's nose before apparating home.

Later that night she was once again startled by the sudden appearance of Sirius Black in her studio. She'd been down in the kitchen grabbing some tea, and when she entered the studio he was lounging in the old cream-colored chaise in nearly the same position he'd been in her "Thank You" drawing.

She jerked in surprise, spilling the hot tea on her bare forearm and dropping her chocolate digestives on the floor.

"Shit! Sirius!" she yelped, putting her tea on the table in the corner and rubbing the pink splash burn on her arm.

Ever casual, Sirius gave a few graceful movements with his wand and the mess was gone. "I do believe that's the first time you've ever used my first name, Sinclair."

"You need to stop startling me in here. It's supposed to be a sanctuary!"

"My apologies," he said, waving his wand over her arm and pulling away all the heat from her skin, effectively healing the burn.

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"James is on his date and the Potter's are paying a visit to widow Haversham."

"You didn't go with them?"

"Would you have?"

Widow Haversham lived on the outskirts of the village and had been a widow for longer than Hadley had been alive. She was a bit touched, and grumpy, and had a few too many birds for Hadley's liking. The widow had been Fleamont Potter's governess when he was a child, and the two maintained a friendly relationship. So, periodically, Fleamont and Euphemia would pay her a visit.

Hadley shrugged, "Probably not. So you're inflicting me with your presence?"

"You're always so rude to me, Hadley, why is that?" he asked, starting to circle her as a predator circles its prey.

"Because I find you smug and annoying."

"Nah, I don't think that's it," he stopped his pace and got within inches of her, invading her space with his heady cologne and perfectly molded body. "I think it's cos you fancy me."

Hadley snorted, "Ha! As if!" She scoffed even though she felt the same spark between them she'd felt at her brother's wedding.

"Prove it then," he moved closer. "Prove that you don't fancy me."

Not one to back down from a challenge, Hadley set her jaw and looked him square in the eye. "Fine. Strip and get on the chaise."

This seemed to throw Sirius for a loop, as his smug smirk fell from his lips and he stuttered, "Wh-what?"

"You heard me. Take your clothes off and model for me. If I can paint you in all your glory without jumping your bones, that'll prove to you once and for all that I do not fancy you."

It was Sirius's turn to scoff, "You're bluffing."

"What, you think I've never seen a pecker before? I only drew that fwooper for comedic effect," she crossed her arms across her chest. For added effect, she shifted her weight to pop out one of her hips.

"You're not serious!" he said, taking a step back. She relished in his uneasiness, and took a step towards him.

"No, you're Sirius." she smirked, "Are we doing this or not?"

Sirius sputtered a bit before disapparating on the spot. Hadley laughed loudly enough to wake Rafi, who had been dead asleep in the corner of the room. He plodded over and Hadley gave him an affectionate pat on the head before he jumped up onto the chaise and dozed off once more.

She smiled to herself, relishing in her victory, and continued painting. If one dog wouldn't model for her, another would.

It was near three in the morning. Hadley stood in the kitchen, looking out the window over the back garden as the moonlight floated down to illuminate her mother's pet project. In her hands she held a mug of peppermint tea in the hopes that it would help her sleep. For some unknown reason, she hadn't been able to calm her mind enough to fall asleep that night. So there she stood, staring at the garden through the kitchen window.

A pop and a loud, pained groan sounded from near the front door. Hadley turned and set her mug on the counter, rushing toward the front of the house. The hall was half-lit by the moonlight streaming in from the living room windows, and she saw the silhouette of her Uncle Al tumbling toward her.

"Uncle Al?" she asked. Something wasn't right. His gait was much too side-to-side and, as he passed a pool of moonlight, she saw dark stains all over the left side of his face and down the front of his jacket. He paused in the hall, then tipped sideways and crashed into the wall. She rushed to her uncle's side and shouted up the stairs for her mother. Hoisting her uncle up on her shoulder, she felt the wet, slick, warmth of the dark stains.

Blood.

Hadley screamed, "Uncle Al! MUM! _MUM_!"

Within seconds it seemed, her mother was next to her and the hall came into full light. Sergius wasn't far behind his wife, who had crouched next to her brother and Hadley.

"Hadley, go to the kitchen and get towels. We have to stop the bleeding. Serg, fetch the blood replenisher from the-"

"No need. Blood on the clothes isn't mine…" Alastor piped up. "My eye...Leeth, my eye…"

Alethea nodded to her daughter, "Hadley, the towels!"

Hadley dashed out of the hallway and reached into the kitchen cabinet where they kept a neat stack of tea towels. She grabbed a handful and rushed back to the hallway, where her father was helping her uncle into the living room and onto the couch. Her mother was casting a numbing charm as her brother was lowered onto the couch. As the charm took effect, he seemed to regain his composure and sat up on the couch, alert once more. Luckily, her mother's head was blocking Hadley's view of the carnage that had been her uncle's face.

"Alastor, what happened?" Alethea asked, taking the towels from Hadley and mopping the blood off her brother's face so she could get a better look at the damage.

"Death Eaters. They raided a muggle village not too far from here. We managed to beat them back...I got hit in the eye…"

"And why didn't you go straight to St. Mungo's?" Alethea chided, pulling out her wand and waving it in front of her brother, inspecting his eye more carefully. Hadley watched her mother attend to her brother as carefully as she would any patient of hers, but not without a slight tremble in her hand. She knew her mother hated that Uncle Al was an Auror and not something safer, especially in these increasingly dangerous times. Alethea often came home with horror stories from the wizarding hospital; people attacked with the most malicious charms or losing their minds to the Cruciatus Curse.

It all made Hadley's stomach churn with anxiety. It didn't help that she could smell blood in the air. Sensing her nervousness, Rafi nudged her hand with his wet nose and she scratched his ears.

"You were closer. And I hate that place." Alastor grumbled.

"I'm not one for hospitals either, mate, but you've got a gaping hole in the side of your face," Sergius commented, staring down his brother-in-law. Alastor merely growled at him. Rafi's ears perked up a bit, but the dog didn't move from Hadley's side.

"Sorry you feel that way, Al, but we've got to get you there now. It looks you're going to lose that eye, especially if it was dark magic that blasted it." Alethea leaned forward to grab a towel off the coffee table in front of her and Hadley saw the gaping crater on the left side of her uncle's face.

Her stomach gave an almighty lurch and she doubled over onto her knees, retching onto the carpet. Her father was there quickly, holding her hair and rubbing her back. Rafi licked the side of her face and she pushed him away before he could lick up the vomit (as he was wont to do). She couldn't hear much of anything save for her pulse pounding in her ears and then the whoosh of the fireplace as her mother and uncle Floo'd to St. Mungo's.

With a deep breath, Hadley rose to her feet and her father escorted her to a nearby armchair.

"You want some tea, love?" he asked as he magically cleaned Hadley's mess. She just stared at the fireplace, the horrors of the night finally sinking into her brain. Death Eaters had gone after muggles like they'd been doing for months, but they'd mostly stayed around London. It was strange for them to venture this far north. And what about her uncle? Was he going to be okay?

Would anyone be okay in the war to come? While she had kept herself busy with other things to avoid thinking about it, a war now seemed inevitable. That thought chilled her to her core.

Hadley croaked out, "There's some on the counter. It might need reheating."

Her father nodded and kissed her forehead, "He'll be alright. Your mum's a great healer and your uncle is stubborn as a mule. 'Tis but a scratch for old Al." She smiled at his attempt at comfort as he left the room.

Rafi plopped his head on Hadley's lap, his amber eyes looking up at her with nothing but love. With her invitation, he joined her on the chair, sitting in her lap and leaning against her. It was what she'd always called a "Rafi hug." She wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked his fur, the feeling helping ease her growing anxiety. She knew there would be no sleep for her that night.

"Aren't you two are a little big to be doing that?" her dad asked as he returned, her mug steaming in his hand.

"Perhaps," she said, taking the tea from him and taking a sip. She felt the warmth of it spread through her limbs and her eyelids felt heavy.

"I added some dreamless sleep to it, love. Do you want to move upstairs?" her father admitted.

Hadley shook her head, "No. I'll be fine right here."

Her father kissed her forehead once more and handed her a blanket, understanding her decision. Rafi jumped down to the floor in front of the chair as she pulled her legs up to her chest, turning to the side and snuggling further into the chair.

"Thank you daddy." she whispered as she fell into a deep, mercifully dreamless, sleep.

* * *

 **Oh so THAT'S how Moody lost his eye. Well, at least in my imagination it is.**

 **If you'd like some more visuals for Hadley and the gang check out my Pinterest page for this story! More info on that can be found on my profile page.**

 **Please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you're thinking!**


	6. Acts of Kindness

**I'm back! Chapter six is in the house!**

 **Once again, thanks to mazeygrace18 for the review! I would also like to thank those of you who favorited/followed! You guys are the best!**

 **And now, the continuing adventures of Hadley!**

* * *

 _ **July 29th, 1977**_

Sirius entered the Sinclair House after James expecting to find Hadley bright eyed and bushy tailed, begging to hear about James's date. James had not shut up about the date since his return last night, and Sirius was glad that it had gone well for his friend. In his opinion, the date had been a long time coming. The fact that it had ended with a kiss at Lily's door and a promise of a second was more than vindicating for him.

The house was eerily quiet, which put James on edge as they stepped into the front hallway. "Hadley?" James called quietly, reaching back for his wand. Sirius did the same, brandishing his walnut wand in front of him as he and James ventured further into the house. The air was still and there was a metallic scent in the air, barely detectable to his human senses, but the dog could smell it as if it was fresh. Someone had cleaned up whatever bloody mess had been on the hallway carpet a few hours earlier.

"You smell that?" James asked him in a wavering tone.

Sirius nodded in response, moving around his best friend to get a clearer sniff. "It's a few hours old at most. You think it's hers?"

"Doesn't smell like it," James shook his head, "But it can't be a good sign."

A bark from behind them made them both jump out of their skins as Rafi entered the hallway, loping his way over to Sirius. The dog's amber eyes were full of joy and he excitedly barked again, his tail thumping the wall as it wagged. The boys greeted the dog and their tension eased; if something had happened to Hadley, the dog would be more agitated. He seemed perfectly at ease.

After his greeting, he trotted back into the living room from whence he came and the boys followed him. Hadley was curled up in a big wingback chair, her knees drawn up to her chest and a blanket draped over her. Had she slept there?

James crouched in front of her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and shaking her, "Hadley, wake up."

Waking with a start, Hadley's eyes shot open and her head jerked up. Sirius thought he detected a panicked expression before her blue eyes landed on James's face. She looked paler than she had yesterday, the dark violet circles under her eyes more apparent.

"Jamie, what're you doing here?" Her voice was still a little dreamy, and the small sound she made while she stretched made something in Sirius' gut flutter.

"We're here to take you to breakfast so you can hear all about my date with Lily," James said, and Sirius noticed how his eyebrows knitted together with worry before he went on to ask, "Is everything okay? Why are you sleeping in a chair?"

Hadley unfolded from her sleeping position, the blanket dropping to the floor as she stood and stretched. With a groan, she moved toward the kitchen and completely ignored James' question.

"Anyone else want coffee?" she called from the kitchen.

"Sure," Sirius called after her. James narrowed his eyes at him and Sirius just shrugged. He needed coffee more than he needed answers just then.

James rolled his eyes and moved toward the kitchen. Sirius followed and found that Hadley was standing statue still, a bright red mug in her hands. She stood in front of the sink, staring down at the mug with an empty expression. As the first one in the room, James was closest to her and took her hands in his, breaking her trance.

Before James could ask the question, Hadley was answering him. "My Uncle Al is in St. Mungo's. He apparated here last night after some Death Eaters attacked a muggle village not far from here."

Her voice was small, and Sirius would bet anything that her hands were trembling in James'. Something in his chest twisted in concern; whether for concern for Hadley or concern that Death Eaters were in the area he didn't know. Perhaps it was both. But why would he care that Hadley seemed so shaken? Their tenuous friendship had only just begun and so far included a quidditch game (during which she'd thoroughly kicked his ass), and an ill-fated date to her brother's wedding. Why was she under his skin already? Brushing the uncomfortable question aside, he spoke up.

"Death Eaters? This far north and openly attacking muggles?"

Hadley nodded, "Apparently," she took her hands out of James' grasp and put the mug down on the counter, bracing herself against it, "And just when I was able to forget there was a war going on."

Her words were bitter and Sirius knew the feeling. Summers at the Potters' were idyllic. Perfect English countryside, loving parent figures, and nothing but free time made it feel like the tensions that pervaded the air at Hogwarts and in London were nonexistent.

Not for the first time, Sirius was happy he had left his parent's house. Being a Gryffindor in a house full of Slytherins hadn't been easy at best. At worst, well, he didn't want to think about that. He was in a safe place now, with people who cared for him, that was all that mattered. The past was behind him.

But it seemed the war was nipping at their heels.

"Is he going to be okay? Your uncle?" Sirius asked to break the silence that had descended on the room, as James seemed to be at a rare loss for words. To make up for it, he'd answered the kettle's call and assumed coffee duty, pouring three mugs' worth and setting them on the kitchen table.

Hadley took the hint and made her way over, keeping her eyes downcast as they took their seats and she explained what had happened the night before. How she'd been having trouble falling asleep, how her uncle had apparated into the hall, how after a brief exam her mother floo'd him off to St. Mungo's.

"My dad said he'll be fine, though I haven't heard anything from my mum so far today. But from the looks of it, he's going to lose his eye." She took a sip of her coffee after adding milk to it. Sirius took note of how she took her coffee and wondered if she took her tea with milk as well.

"It's better than losing his life." James commented and Hadley nodded solemnly. Rafi had pushed past Sirius' legs to creep under the table and put his head on Hadley's lap.

The room lapsed into silence again as they each sipped at their coffee.

"So...breakfast?" Sirius asked, earning him another look from James, whose own stomach made an unattractive grumbling sound.

"I don't feel much like going anywhere, but you two can go if you'd like." Hadley sounded as tired as she looked and suddenly Sirius was determined to cheer her up. He hopped out of his seat and made his way to the icebox.

"No problem, I happen to be a master chef! What would you like, Hadley dear? I make one hell of an omelette." He offered, adding a little wink at James, whose ears perked up as Hadley raised her eyes from table, eyeing him suspiciously. It was a bald-faced lie, Sirius had never cooked a damn thing in his life. Occasionally, he would assist Mrs. Potter in one of her baking endeavors, but that was mostly to earn the privilege of licking the remnants of batter or dough off of the inside of the bowl. He had never paid much attention to what he was actually doing. Hopefully James had some inkling of what to do.

"You're not serious," she started.

James hopped out of his seat, "He's always Sirius, Hadley."

"Have either of you cooked anything in your lives?" she asked as Sirius was elbow-deep in the cupboards.

"Course we have," Sirius lied, now sunk into the cupboard up to his shoulder, "now where do you keep the skillet?" Apparently there was an extension charm on the cupboards. He had yet to feel a skillet, or really know what he was looking for. Row after row of mugs and glasses, but no skillet as of yet. Probably.

Hadley sighed and walked over to what he'd assumed was a pantry, opening it to reveal a selection of cookware hanging off the back of the tall door. Sirius extracted his arm from the cupboard and in three long strides stood next to her, plucking the skillet off of its hook.

He stood in front of her for a few seconds longer than necessary, peering into the rest of the pantry. He selected a few spices that, in all honesty, he had no idea what they were but he was determined to keep up the charade as long as he could.

"Why don't you sit down, Hadley dear, while we make you a breakfast you'll never forget!" James pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'm going to shower and change," she stated, "Don't burn the house down."

"No promises!" both boys shouted in unison as she disappeared into the hall and up the stairs.

Once she was out of earshot, James turned to Sirius. "So," he started, "You have no idea what you're doing, yeah?"

"Exactly. But when has that ever stopped us?" Sirius said with a mischievous wink of his eye.

XXX

Hadley took her time in the shower, letting the too-hot water scald away the memories of the previous night. The vision of her uncle's mangled face haunted her and she could tell it wouldn't let up anytime soon. It made her stomach churn, or maybe that was the mug of coffee she'd downed on an empty stomach.

Whatever it was, she wasn't sure she'd be able to eat whatever the boys cooked up for breakfast, assuming they knew what they were doing. She appreciated their thoughtfulness and tried not to be alarmed at the sudden act of kindness from Sirius Black, but something in the back of her mind didn't trust him. He hailed from an entire family of blood purists and, while she was all-too familiar with having different dreams than the ones imposed by parents, she couldn't help but think that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Why had he picked James, the only other pureblood out of his friend group, to seek refuge with? Why not Remus Lupin or Peter whatshisface?

She pushed her suspicions away, as he was preparing a meal for her at that very moment. A kind gesture from a boy who was only a few notches above acquaintance. His eyes had shone like warm liquid mercury as she recounted the previous night for them, the memory of them made goosebumps rise on her arms. He was incredibly handsome, but no way would she allow herself to be taken in by the most notorious playboy at Hogwarts.

She shut off the water and reached for the spot where she normally kept her towel, cursing when her search was fruitless. She'd forgotten to grab one from the closet in the hall. Groaning, she reached for her wand and cast a drying charm over her body and hair before peeking her head into the hall, scanning and listening for any hint that the boys had made their way upstairs.

Hearing two voices and cooking sounds from downstairs, she skittered down the hall to her room and slammed the door behind her. That was all she needed; to be caught naked in the hallway by her best male friend or, worse, her best male friend's philandering roommate. That seemed an appropriate enough title for Sirius, she thought as she rummaged through her drawers for clean clothes.

Ten minutes later she made her way back down to the kitchen, hoping beyond hope that the two unsupervised boys hadn't made a wreck of it. Her mother took great pride in keeping her home as meticulously clean as her part of the hospital was.

The sight that greeted her made her jaw drop. Her mother's kitchen was immaculate, the kitchen table was set with a bundle of wildflowers in a vase as a centerpiece, and the room smelled amazing. Rafi had joined in as well, as he was sporting an adorable red bow around his neck and sat obediently next to her chair.

"Help you to your chair, milady?" James appeared at her elbow and escorted her to her usual seat nearest the kitchen door. He pulled out the chair and she sat as Sirius placed a plated omelette in front of her.

"One omelette with mushrooms, onion, and whatever that cheese we found in your icebox was," he gestured to the mug full of coffee, "Freshly brewed coffee, or the kettle is on for some tea if you'd prefer."

James waved his wand and the radio turned on, soft sounds of The Wizened Jazz Trio floating through the air.

"Why are you doing this for me?" she asked, looking up into Sirius' stormcloud eyes, feeling a spark shoot down her spine as she did. He opened his mouth to respond, but James beat him to it.

"We need a reason for being nice to you, my best female friend? I'm hurt, Hadley!" He flung a hand to his forehead like a dramatic actress while his other rested over his heart, as if she had grievously wounded him.

Hadley laughed, feeling her cold facade crumble. Never having been able to remain angry at James for long, she picked up the fork and took a bite of the omelette. Much to her surprise, it was delicious.

"Well, are you boys going to just stand there and watch me eat? Didn't you make any for yourselves?" she asked, slicing the omelette into smaller bits. Sirius was still staring at her, making her insides squirm uncomfortably.

Sirius waved his wand, revealing two more place settings and two more plates of food. "We weren't sure you'd want us to join you, after the night you had. Didn't want to impose, you see."

"After you entered my house and took over my kitchen? No, not imposing at all," she snarked as they took their seats, James directly across from her and Sirius in the seat next to hers.

"So James," she said, "Tell me all about this date of yours."

James regaled her with the story of their date. Lily had taken him to a "movie," something like their own moving photographs but much longer and with more story involved. After it ended, they'd gone to a restaurant for fish and chips and walked around a nearby park before settling on a bench and talking.

"We talked for _hours,_ Had! If she didn't have a curfew, I'm sure we'd still be talking on that bench," James' eyes sparkled in a way she hadn't seen before and a light tinge of pink graced his cheeks, "You were right, too. Once I relaxed and just talked to her like a real person we got on great."

"No more pedestal?" she asked, putting her fork down as she finished her breakfast.

"No more pedestal. Though I still think she's a goddess among women, she must be daft to go out with the likes of me, but..." He trailed off, the smile threatening to consume his face.

"Tell her what happened when you dropped Lily at home," Sirius prodded, speaking up for the first time since James had started his story. That all but confirmed Hadley's suspicions about how the date had ended.

"Right, yeah, so I brought her home and we were standing at her garden gate and, well, I took a risk." The pink tinge deepened to a red and Hadley smiled at her friend's sheepish expression.

"You told her you've had dirty dreams about her." Hadley interjected, earning her a small snort of laughter from Sirius and a panicked look from James.

"What? No! I kissed her!"

"Oh, is that all," Hadley collected hers and Sirius' empty plates and moved toward the sink, "Good for you, mate." Since he'd been talking James was only half-finished with his breakfast.

"I'm proud of you, Prongs." Sirius said, leaning the kitchen chair back on two legs. On her way back from the sink, she pushed the chair back down and gave Sirius a look.

"Prongs?" she asked as she took her seat once more, "What's a prongs?"

James looked uncomfortable and shot a glance at Sirius, "Erm, nothing, Just a dumb nickname. It's a Gryffindor thing."

Not really believing his explanation, but deciding not to push the matter further, Hadley shrugged. "Whatever," she watched as a silent conversation passed between them before continuing, "I was going to go into London today. I need some more paint supplies if you'd like to come along."

This caught their attention and they each popped away with the promise to be back soon.

The trio floo'd to the Leaky Cauldron, then went out to the front door to Charing Cross Road. They walked to Soho, where Hadley escorted the guys through her favorite art supply shop, then found themselves in Reckless Records in Berwick Street.

Hadley had discovered the shop on accident when she was fifteen. She'd gone with her father to work and gotten bored, so he gave her some muggle money and told her to go wander around. The Wizard Wireless Network's headquarters was hidden behind an abandoned storefront in Soho. When it started raining, she'd ducked into the shop and instantly fallen in love.

Row after row of milk crates, each full of records. It smelled musty and was much too humid in the summer months, but every time she was in London she made a point to stop.

She was flipping through a milk crate in the "R" section, and had just hit The Rolling Stones.

"Rolling Stones?" a voice said from behind her, making her jump, "I thought you were a Beatles bird?"

She turned her head to look Sirius in the face, finding him much closer than she thought he was, "Who says I can't be both?"

"It seems that muggles have a preference one way or the other," he nodded his head toward the bloke behind the counter, who was wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt, bopping his head along to the song that was playing on the speakers. Hadley hadn't heard it before, but it had a driving beat and something in the singer's voice appealed to her.

"Bet you can't get him to change his mind," Sirius challenged, turning his face back so it was mere inches away from hers. Before she could stop it, her eyes flicked down to his lips and for a moment she wondered what it would be like to move her face just a few more inches...

"My good man," she said, raising her voice and striding over to the front counter. The young man behind it came to attention and she addressed him, "What's this song?"

He scoffed, "TNT, by AC/DC. Not a radio listener, are ya?" He crossed his arms in front of him and she bit her tongue. No, she didn't listen to muggle radio that often. That's what her extensive record collection was for. Not wanting this jerk to have the upper hand she leaned on the counter, squishing her elbows together under her breasts to make them stand out more.

"Well I quite like it," she raised her voice half an octave and gave it a breathy damsel-in-distress tone, "Could you show me where their albums are? And maybe some similar ones too?"

The poor bloke's eyes flicked from her face to her breasts and back again before moving out from behind the counter, "Yeah, alright."

With a triumphant smile over her shoulder to Sirius, she followed the shop boy over to the records, listening intently as he told her about AC/DC and some of the other interesting acts coming out of the United States. Then he started waxing poetic about The Ramones, Black Sabbath, and ELO, even though she knew about the latter two for a while now.

"So you really know your stuff, yeah?" she giggled, flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder.

He scuffed his shoe against the floor, "Yeah, it's a bit of an obsession."

"You're a Stones fan?" she stepped closer and motioned to his shirt. He nodded and she continued, "I think I'm more of a Beatles fan, myself. I wish I could've seen them live, though."

"Yeah, The Beatles were good. If you like that sort of thing," he started and Hadley looked over her shoulder at Sirius, who was browsing nearby. "Hey, if you're not doin' anything later, I've got an extra ticket to go see the Buzzcocks tonight. They're pretty new, but they're really good."

Hadley opened her mouth to answer, but nearly jumped out of her skin when a strong arm snaked around her shoulders and Sirius' lips pressed against her cheek.

"Hey love, you about ready to go?" he asked. Hadley stuttered at the look he was giving her, one so full of affection it was almost surprising.

"Erm...yeah, we should get going. Where's James?" she asked, trying to remain calm as she figured out what he was doing. It made her stomach churn in indignation. Why was he pretending to be her boyfriend? The last time they'd attempted it, it hadn't ended well at all. Was this because a muggle had asked her out? He was a Black after all…

"He ran to the smoke shop across the street. We should meet him there." Using the arm around her shoulders he turned her toward the door and escorted her out. She said a quick thanks to the shop boy, who looked like a child who'd spilled his ice cream.

Once they were out of sight of the shop she slipped out from under Sirius' arm and hit him in the chest, "What the bloody hell was that?"

"Oh come on, Hadley, you weren't actually into him."

"And who are you to decide that for me?" she countered.

"So you _were_ into that skinny muggle?"

She paused, "Well, no, but - "

"Then you're welcome. I got you out of there before you had to awkwardly turn him down." Sirius shrugged as they caught sight of James coming out of the smoke shop a few doors down. Her bespectacled friend waved at them and trotted over. Hadley was still annoyed with Sirius, but the bright look in James' eyes was enough to distract her.

"Here you go, mate," James said, holding a pack out to Sirius.

"You smoke?" Hadley could feel her annoyance growing once again.

"Why, is that a turn-off for you?" He smirked at her and she rolled her eyes. With surprising grace, Sirius flipped the pack open and popped a cigarette between his perfectly bowed lips. For a moment, Hadley wondered what those lips would feel like pressed against her own before pushing the thought away.

He held his hand out to James, and James slapped it like a low-five. Sirius stared at him, and James stared back.

"What?"

"Did you get a lighter?" Sirius asked, as Hadley bit back a laugh.

James' face fell, "I thought you had one."

Sirius sighed as he grabbed Hadley and James by the elbows, pushing them toward a nearby alley. The alley was well shaded, providing a nice respite from the surprisingly sunny day, but it reeked of garbage. Hadley turned to Sirius as he pulled out his wand and lit the cigarette, coughing as the first puff of acrid smoke came out of his mouth and nose. In that moment, Hadley thought he resembled a dragon.

"So," James said, taking a cigarette for himself and lighting it, "find anything good at the record shop?"

"I didn't, but Hadley did." Sirius said between coughs. He raised a suggestive eyebrow at her and she stole the cigarette out of his hand.

Hadley rolled her eyes, "Stuff it, Black. I wasn't interested."

James looked between them, "What did I miss?"

Before Sirius could speak, Hadley interjected, "I was talking to the shop boy, he asked me out, and then Black decided that he needed to intervene even though I could've handled it just fine."

"Oh, lay off Hadley I was doing you a favor," he took the cigarette back and raised it to his lips, giving Hadley a pointed look. She squirmed under his stormy gaze so she turned to James.

"Jamie, I'm feeling tired. I think I'm going to go home."

James opened his mouth to protest, but Hadley gripped her bag of art supplies tightly and turned on the spot, apparating home. She arrived outside her back garden gate and saw her father was home early, as he was bustling about the kitchen.

"Hi," her father said as she entered the back door. He turned and wiped his hands on a cloth, "I heard from your mum today. Uncle Al's gonna be just fine, but he lost his eye. They got him a prosthetic, though, so he'll still be able to see."

Hadley nodded, "That's good to hear. I'm going to go paint for a while." She held up the bag of supplies and her dad nodded toward the counter.

"Your Hogwarts list came in today," he commented before he turned back to the counter and went about his business.

She patted Rafi's head and climbed the stairs, thinking over the last few hours. While she'd been flattered at the shop boy's invitation, Sirius had been correct in assuming that she wasn't interested in him. But that didn't give Sirius the right to pretend to be her boyfriend and whisk her out of the shop as quickly as he could.

Letting her mind wander as she unpacked the bag and organized her studio space, she couldn't help but think that she may be a bit lonely. While she didn't miss Leo himself, she missed the physical presence of another person. Holding hands, having someone stroke her hair after a long day, mad snogging in a dark corner between classes, not to mention sex.

Leo hadn't been her first, but he had been the best. That wasn't saying much, unfortunately. The sex was good, but there hadn't been intimacy, there hadn't been a real connection. Over the last few weeks, she found herself missing the closeness of another human being and, surprising herself, wanting a new relationship.

Sirius's face popped into her mind, but she laughed at the idea. He was superior to others in two areas, the first being his looks and the second being his ability to annoy her to no end. Dismissing her incredibly good-looking neighbor, she turned her mind to someone else.

Another face came to mind. Pulling out a bit of parchment she wrote a quick letter and sent it with the family owl, hoping to hear back before too long.

* * *

 **Hello my lovelies! Thanks for reading the update! I would really really love if you left a review!**


	7. October 1993

27 October 1993

The wind was thankfully still that morning as Hadley stood out by the lake. It was her first venture out of the castle walls in the last two months at Hogwarts, and she'd brought Milo with her just in case. For extra precaution, she had her patronus trotting around a ten-foot perimeter. The gauzy white fox flicked its tail as it swished back and forth, hovering above Milo's head and driving the dog mad.

She smiled as the dog tirelessly leapt at the patronus, which paid the dog no mind. Milo had been her only constant companion over the last six years, and incredibly helpful when it came to managing her anxiety. Now, at the castle, he proved invaluable. Because while the dog and her patronus were enough to keep the dementors at bay, the nightmarish creatures hovered around the edges of the lake and just behind the tree line not far away. The fox flickered as she caught sight of one, but she took a deep breath and gripped the palette knife in her right hand, using it to ground herself. It took a moment, as the tattoos along the side of her neck tingled, but eventually she opened her eyes and the fox glowed steadily once more.

The painting was a little more difficult than she imagined, as clouds kept moving across the sun and affecting the colors of the scene in front of her. A cloud cleared and the water of the lake brightened once more. Hadley sighed indignantly, tossing her pallette knife onto the small table next to her. She was about to give up and wait for a brighter day when Milo barked happily.

Turning, she saw a familiar shabby blondish man making his way across the lawn. Milo sat and patiently waited for the man to approach him, barking all the while. Hadley watched as Remus made his way over to her, pausing to pat Milo on the head.

They hadn't spoken much since term began, mostly because Hadley had purposely kept her distance. She figured his classes would keep him busy enough and she didn't want to push in where she wasn't wanted. It wasn't like she had been playing games with him, making him come to her and playing hard to get; they were perfectly friendly during meal times and in passing, but she hadn't actively sought him out.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" He asked as he got within earshot.

"If only these damn clouds would make up their minds, sure." Hadley agreed, turning back to her painting. Remus stopped just behind her, looking at the painting appraisingly.

"I wish I had a better eye for art," he admitted to her for the thousandth time in their friendship, "Then I could tell you if it's good or bad."

"You don't need to know art to have an opinion," she told him in a matter-of-fact tone, "And besides, I'm going to give up on this one for now. The clouds are too spotty for me to get a consistent color."

Reaching into her robe, she pulled out her wand and cleaned up the paint that dirtied her pallette.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Remus apologized, "I actually came out here to speak with you."

"Oh?" She had thought as much, but hadn't wanted to assume anything. Facing him now, she met his green gaze with her own, trying not to trace the new scars with her eyes. They were standing rather close, she could detect the faint smell of chocolate and black tea wafting from his robes. It was comforting and familiar, something she hadn't felt in a long while stirred in her chest.

He looked at his feet and shuffled the toe of one in the gravel beneath their feet, "Hadley, have you been avoiding me?"

"Right out with it then," she chuckled nervously, "A little. I figured your new job as everyone's favorite professor would take up most of your time."

"I'm hardly everyone's favorite," he smirked.

"That's not what I hear. Anyway, I figured you wouldn't have time for your old...friend to be hanging round all the time."

The wind picked up, whipping the loose strands of her hair about her face. He took his hand out of his pocket and pushed a troublesome strand behind her ear. His fingers left small trails of warmth as they grazed her cheek. "I always have time for you, Hadley."

She could scarcely breathe. He was standing so close, if she rose to her tiptoes they'd be kissing. Which, if her memory served, was incredibly pleasurable. The last time she'd been kissed so well was during hers and Remus's last fling nearly two years ago. He was so tall that he nearly towered over her, he could devour her if he so wished. And, Merlin, would she let him. It had been much too long.

With another flick of her wand, she packed up all her painting supplies and her patronus disappeared. "Fancy a spot of tea?"

"Of course. May I?" He reached for her portfolio and easel and she nodded, calling Milo to her side.

"He's a lovely dog. All my students love him." Remus mused as the trio began their trek back up toward the castle. Hadley didn't doubt it. Whenever she would take meals in the Great Hall, which was usually after the initial rush of students, Milo would wander between the tables searching for scraps and charm the remaining students into giving him more. The Australian Shepherd was quite a ham when he wanted to be, and had gained a full five pounds since their arrival at Hogwarts. It was getting to the point where Hadley was of a mind to ask Dumbledore to tell the students to stop.

"Yes, he's a good boy. Spoiled as hell, but he earns it." she rubbed the dog's hindquarters and he turned in a circle. "He's been a big help."

It was true. There was hardly a night she didn't fall asleep with the dog nestled against her legs, and if she awoke to a nightmare the dog would help calm her down. He wasn't a specially trained dog, but he was highly intuitive. Adopting him had been one of the best decision she'd ever made.

They dropped off her art supplies in her temporary studio space before heading to her chambers. She put the kettle on and they sat across from each other on the sofa. "You look tired, Hadley."

"Haven't been sleeping well," she dismissed, looking down at her hands. One of Remus's closed over hers, the warmth of his hand was reassuring.

"I know it mustn't be easy for you, having those things flying around."

She chuckled mirthlessly, "To say the least."

"I would like to compliment you on your patronus. It seemed rather strong for someone who was so out of practice," he retracted his hand as the kettle whistled. "Splash of milk, if I remember correctly?"

Hadley hummed her response, looking about the room. She'd done as much as she could to make it feel like home, hanging photos (both muggle and wizard) and some art pieces from her own collection that she was fond of. The space was a little smaller than her one bedroom flat in London, with a fireplace in the living room and one of the most luxurious bathtubs she'd ever used in the bathroom.

Remus's footsteps approached the couch, but abruptly stopped. Hadley turned her head and saw him, a mug in each hand, standing in front of a framed photo hanging on the wall next to the entrance to the kitchen. Her heart sank, for she knew exactly which photo it was.

It was the group of them at James and Lily's wedding. The memories of that day were bittersweet when cast in the light of all that happened. James and Lily, wrapped in a newlywed embrace seemed to radiate love. Hadley and Sirius to James's right, for a moment in a similar embrace but the Sirius turned, shouting something at Remus and Peter. The group broke out laughing, and the photo started over.

"I don't remember this one," Remus commented sadly, his demeanor shifting and making him appear at least ten years older.

Hadley joined him, brushing a hand across the fabric of his shirt along his arm. He flinched away, splashing hot tea on his hand and cursing. Without saying a word, Hadley moved him to the sofa and picked her wand off the coffee table, healing his mild burn once he set the mugs down.

"Have I said I'm sorry?" he rasped, keeping his eyes on his and Hadley's hands, clasped together as she'd healed him.

She squeezed his large, calloused hand in her own, "Yes. Many times. Unnecessarily."

He squeezed back and looked away toward the fireplace, "It's more than necessary, Hadley."

"Hey," she disengaged one of her hands and turned his face to her own, forcing him to meet her gaze, "That's the past now. We can't keep punishing ourselves for what happened, we can only move on."

The corner of his lips quirked up for half a second, "You sound like James."

"Or did James sound like me?" she lifted one of her eyebrows at him and he chuckled. A warm feeling blossomed in Hadley's stomach with the pride of being able to make him laugh. Ever since they'd reconnected after her return from Azkaban, Remus had been a tough nut to crack. The weight of what had happened threatened to drag him under, even after all these years. Though Hadley supposed that if she'd stayed in the wizarding world she would be much the same.

Now that she'd pulled him back from the brink, however temporarily, she steered the conversation to Harry. She was more than a little curious about her best friend's son, her almost-godson.

* * *

A few days later it was Halloween, what had been one of her favorite holidays at Hogwarts. The floating jack o'lanterns and the warm cider were her strongest memories of fall, and this year was no different. She and Milo had gone for a long walk, retracing the trails she'd traversed in her youth around the lake and through the Forbidden Forest, her patronus keeping the floating dementors away.

They didn't return to the castle until after dark, and found it in chaos. Students flooded the corridors, moving toward the Great Hall and abuzz with whispers. Hadley found Professor McGonagall standing on a stool in the middle of it and made her way there, holding Milo in her arms so he wouldn't get lost.

"Professor, what's going on?"

"There you are Miss Sinclair," her old professor declared in her Scottish brogue, "Albus will fill you in, he's organizing the search outside the library. You'd best hurry."

Hadley was confused, but made her way toward the library, fighting the current of students. She arrived and took a spot next to Pomona Sprout in the circle of adults, Dumbledore in the center. He was speaking calmly, but the other professors were shifting uncomfortably. Pomona was shaking next to her, a look of panic across her face.

"Pomona, I need you to secure the greenhouses before you attend to the Hufflepuff dormitories, Severus, take the dungeons and Slytherin house, Remus - Oh, Hadley, I didn't see you there." Dumbledore's tone set her teeth on edge.

"I just got here, Headmaster," she explained as respectfully as possible, "Milo and I were on a walk."

"Headmaster, if I may interject," Severus Snape intoned and Hadley bit her tongue. "How do we know she didn't aid Black into the castle? The timing of her arrival seems suspicious to say the least."

"Wait, Sirius is in the castle?" she asked, looking across the circle to Remus for confirmation.

"He attacked the Fat Lady trying to get into Gryffindor Tower." Remus confirmed. Hadley felt her knees turn to jelly and Milo's ears perked up. Her pulse quickened as her mind spiralled into a panic.

"But...how? Why? What is- where is he now?" she knew her voice must be half an octave higher than normal as she felt her airway constrict. Milo braced himself against her leg and nudged her hand with his muzzle. She used the softness of his fur to help ground herself.

"We don't know. We are going to search the castle for him if you wish to assist." Dumbledore said, his icy eyes taking her in. The mild look of pity in his eyes seemed to galvanize her. She stood up straight and took in a deep breath, willing the panic to die in her chest.

"Yes, of course I will." she declared, forcing her voice to remain steady. "I'll take Milo and search a few of the secret passages I know Black knew about."

Dumbledore nodded, "Thank you, Miss Sinclair. Remus, if you would help Minerva and myself secure the Great Hall, I think we should disperse. Black will not stick around for long."

Hadley nodded as the circle broke into pieces. She let memory dictate her course as she led Milo around the corner, bracing herself against the wall for a moment to regain her composure once the other's' footsteps had disappeared.

Sirius was in the castle. Even with the dementors searching the area, even with all the protections Dumbledore had put up. But her ex had been trying to break into Gryffindor Tower, not her personal apartments. If he was after her wouldn't he have sniffed around for her living space?

Her stomach dropped. That's how he was doing it. Of course he wasn't out there walking around in his very recognizable human form. He was walking around as Padfoot.

She looked down at Milo and caught the dog's attention, "Milo, go."

The dog's ears perked up and he tilted his head, so she repeated the command. A second later, Milo's nose was to the ground and he was running ahead of her. She jogged to catch up with him and followed him closely, her wand raised defensively.

Eventually, Milo sat down in front of the statue of Gregory the Smarmy. Hadley gripped her wand tighter, her eyes wide as she scanned the area. They'd used the secret passage here many times to sneak to the Three Broomsticks, so she was careful to check the secret entrance by shaking the smarmy wizard's outstretched hand and kissing him on the cold rock cheek.

It was empty. Sighing with relief, she waited for it to close before letting her guard down and stepping back into the corridor.

With no more than a light swishing sound, a pair of ice cold hands clamped over her mouth and pulled her back into the shadow behind the statue. Hadley barely had time to squeak before she felt a hard, bony body behind her own.

"My, my, my," a familiar voice rasped in her ear, "the years have certainly been kind to you, Hadley."

She couldn't respond, as his fingers were closed over her mouth like a vice. She could feel her limbs start to tremble and her eyes whipped back and forth. Milo growled low, his hackles rising.

"Shut that dog up," he loosened his grip, but pulled her back flush against him, "But _don't_ scream."

Hadley trembled as he let her go and she crouched down to Milo, "Shh, Milo. Good boy. It's okay."

The dog didn't seem to believe her, but sat obediently and kept a wary eye on Sirius. Hadley followed the dog's line of vision and took in the man the entire castle was searching for.

Her first thought was of a scarecrow come to life. Sirius seemed to be drowning in his Azkaban uniform, his cheeks sunken and his once lustrous hair matted and dirty. The only thing that even remotely resembled the old Sirius, the one she'd loved, was the mercury gaze that seemed to eat her up. The look in his eyes wasn't one of malice, but she couldn't place it either.

Sensing no danger, Hadley couldn't help herself. She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. This seemed to surprise him, as she could feel him tense beneath her.

"I fought, Sirius, I fought for you as hard as I could," she confessed into his foul-smelling shoulder. "But no one would listen. I tried to tell them...but they wouldn't listen…"

"I know you did," he rasped. His tone was gentle and steadying. Her Sirius was still in there somewhere, under all the layers of dirt and sweat and years of torture. She felt her heart rocket into space. Tears had sprung into her eyes and she let out a sob. His skeletal hands caressed her back, the slow gentle action snapping her back to reality.

She pulled away from him and brushed the tears away, "You have to get out of here."

He nodded slowly, turning toward the statue. The action seemed so final, but she couldn't let him go so easily. As his hand grasped that of Gregory the Smarmy, she gripped his prisoner's uniform.

"Swear to me that you're not trying to hurt Harry," she demanded, narrowing her eyes.

His eyes fell and his shoulders slumped, "Not unless he gets in my way."

With a quick peck on Greg's cheek, the entrance behind the statue opened and Sirius was through it, transforming into Padfoot as the door closed.

Hadley sighed as the passage closed. The first she'd seen of him since that horrid night in Godric's Hollow, and it was much too brief. Her heart deflated in her chest and she let out a long, sad sigh.

Milo's cold nose against her hand brought her attention back to the present, and she scratched his ears before moving to continue her search even though she'd already caught and released him. She scanned the hallway, hoping a stray ghost or member of staff hadn't just seen the whole exchange. No one was there, so she and Milo proceeded to the next corridor.

As the duo rounded the next corner, Hadley was forced to skid to a stop to avoid slamming bodily into Severus Snape. The greasy-haired man raised an eyebrow at her. Milo ignored Snape, much as Snape ignored him, and continued down the hall, sitting and waiting at the end of it.

"And just...where have you come from?" he asked, not bothering to mask his suspicious tone.

"Searching the hidden passageways, like I told Dumbledore I was going to do." In return, she didn't hide her annoyance at the question. Ever since she'd arrived Snape had held her in nothing but contempt. She knew of his past as a Death Eater, his strange obsession with Lily, so she figured he didn't have a leg to stand on when it came to matters of questionable loyalty.

"You and this...mongrel," he gestured down the hall to Milo who hunched over and let out a low growl, "Were merely out for a walk when Black entered the school?"

"Of course we were. You don't think I would help him break in, do you? Up until an hour ago I thought I was just as likely to be his target as Harry was."

"If memory serves, you and Black were engaged to be married once. Old habits die hard and all that. One can't be too careful," He nonchalantly picked some lint off of his sleeve with an air of annoying superiority.

"And if my memory serves, Snape, you once swore a blood oath to he-who-must-not-be-named to serve him for life," she took a step closer to him and glared daggers at him, "One can't be too careful."

He sneered at her, "If I find out you helped Black into this castle-"

"Why don't you brew up some veritaserum so we can settle this?"

"Veritaserum is strictly controlled by the Ministry. You know that."

"Then get this through your thick, greasy skull," she took another step closer to him, invading his personal space as much as she was willing, "Dumbledore asked me here, same as you. And since you're one of the people in this world who think the sun shines out his arse, that should hold some clout with you. Drop. This. Now."

With that, she shoved past him and met up with Milo at the other end of the hall. She'd never been the best liar, so she hoped she was convincing. However, she hadn't technically lied. She hadn't helped Sirius into the castle; she hadn't specified that she hadn't let him out. But she didn't regret her actions. Sirius was alive and free because of her. The Prophet had reported that when he was caught he would receive the dementor's kiss. After reading that, she nearly had a panic attack in the Great Hall.

Exhaustion made her stop in the middle of the corridor and brace herself against an old tapestry. Her trek with Milo had taken more of a toll on her than she realized. At that moment, she realized that her last meal was lunch, which had been over ten hours ago now. Hadley yawned, and her stomach growled angrily.

All she wanted to do was quietly make her way back to her apartments and go to sleep. Milo whined and sat in front of her, nudging her with his nose. Without looking up, she grabbed a handful of his thick scruff. His fur was soft and thick and reminded her so much of Padfoot.

The first night she'd met the shaggy black dog, before she knew who he truly was, she had wept into his scruff. Indeed, she spent many nights cuddled with Padfoot. When they'd gotten their first flat together all they had was her double bed from her parent's house. Since it was too small for two humans, Padfoot often slept curled down by her feet to save space.

Tears welled in her eyes. That Padfoot was gone now, replaced with a skinny, mangy stray.

 _But at least he's alive,_ a small internal voice said to her.

"Hadley?" a real voice said to her left and she turned her head, "Are you alright?" Remus put a hand on her back and crouched down so they were level with each other.

"Long day," she managed a small smile, "haven't eaten in a while, too much exertion, then I came back to…" she trailed off, not wanting to divulge too much information about the past hour. No one, not even Remus, believed in Sirius' innocence. His reason was more forgivable than most, as he'd been mostly absent for two years before that night. His was more of a plausible deniability excuse. Everyone else just thought of Sirius as a traitor, and Hadley was a lovesick fool.

"Let me take you back to your rooms, I can take over your part of the search and tell Dumbledore you're in for the night."

Hadley nodded and grabbed his outstretched hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. The entrance to her apartment wasn't too far away, and she planned on summoning a house elf to bring her some food.

"Did you see any signs of him?" Remus asked as they started walking, and Hadley avoided his gaze.

"Oh, um, no. Nothing." She lied.

"In all honesty, I was hoping to find him," Remus admitted, "If for no other reason than to see him again."

"Yeah, that would be nice." They reached her door and she magically unlocked it. Milo bounded into the room but Hadley stopped in the doorway.

"You really still love him? After all this time?" Remus asked, almost incredulous.

She turned back to him, "Of course. Maybe...definitely not like I used to, but it's still there. And I don't think it's ever going to go away."

"Why not?"

She sighed, "Because I never got to say goodbye. He never got a trial, I never got to testify. It all happened so fast and then he was just gone."

Remus nodded, "You didn't get the closure you wanted?"

"Exactly. Shouldn't you be getting back to the search?" She was tired, and wanted to crash in bed.

"Right," he turned to leave, but turned back, "Do you think you'll ever want to actually move on with your life?"

The question stung, but she knew he hadn't meant the comment to be malicious. He was asking if there was a modicum of hope for something to grow between them. And Hadley wasn't sure. They'd been friends since their seventh year at Hogwarts, and after her time in Azkaban they became something much more complicated than that. Now that they were on even footing here at Hogwarts, could they start something? What would that even look like? Was this the universe's way of telling them to go for it? In that moment, her mental exhaustion felt comparable to her physical exhaustion.

"I have moved on. Even though I'm back where I started."

* * *

 **So sorry it took so long to update! Depression is a bitch, you guys. It really blows. Do not recommend.**

 **BUT I got some new meds so I actually feel motivated to do stuff (you know, like write!)**

 **Reviews make my heart and brain happy! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Knockturn Alley and Deets

_August 17, 1977_

Hadley was in one of her favorite places in the wizarding world; wandering through the stacks of Flourish and Blotts bookshop in Diagon Alley. She was a Ravenclaw, after all, and while her area of interest was mostly geared toward art, she loved to read as well. Mostly fiction, as her school books tended to bore her senseless.

This was her second outing with one Evan Rosier, the first being a drink in Godric's Hollow a week prior to celebrate his return from France. She'd mentioned her Hogwarts supply list during their last meeting - she dared not call it a date - and he suggested they do their Hogwarts shopping together. So here he was, following her around the bookshop dutifully, holding her bags while she browsed.

She turned to him, smiling, "We can go if you like, I'm sure you have shopping of your own to do."

"No, no, take all the time you want," he shook his head and his blonde hair shook too. It had gotten long over the summer and Hadley quite liked it this way, long but still arranged neatly. Very proper, very pureblood. "I enjoy watching you browse."

She could feel a blush rise in her cheeks, which she expertly hid as she turned back to the stacks. Her eyes landed on a copy of 'Hereford's Hexes' and she pulled it off the shelf, thinking about how she may need these in the months and years to come. Opening it, she flipped through the brightly illuminated pages and decided to add it to her personal curriculum at Hogwarts this year.

"I think I'm all set," she said, adding the book to her growing pile.

"Are you sure? You haven't grabbed the rest of your school books," he pointed out, looking down at her list.

She shrugged as she moved toward the counter, "There are extra copies of everything in the common room."

The shop girl rang up her purchases and gave her the final price, but before she could reach for her purse Evan had handed over the galleons. She turned to him and started to object, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Please, Hadley, it's on me." His smile was charming and a devilish glint flashed in his eyes, she had no choice but to accept.

She responded with a smirk of her own, "Buying a Ravenclaw books is like buying a Gryffindor firewhiskey."

"And how is that?" he asked as the shop girl handed the bag to him and they turned to leave.

"It's fuel for the fire," she gave him a flirtatious wink and pressed her back against the door, opening it while maintaining contact with his green eyes. Who said it was okay for him to have eyes like that? Kind one moment, amorous the next, like two flaming emeralds.

"Oh, please tell me the kama sutra was in there!" he exclaimed as they took to the cobblestones of Diagon Alley.

Hadley laughed, taking his arm as they crossed the street, "Not this time, you scoundrel."

He stopped in his tracks, using the momentum to swing her around to face him. His other hand went to the small of her back as he pulled her dangerously close, "Next time, then."

His expensive cologne invaded her senses as he moved his face closer to hers. She closed the distance, kissing his lips gently. "Sure," she nodded, liking the idea of a next time.

"Wonderful," Evan said, transferring all the bags to one hand and grasping hers. His fingers threaded through hers and she noted how smooth and strong his hands were. The two of them continued down the street to the darkened archway Hadley's mother had always told her to avoid. She knew it led to Knockturn Alley, where witches and wizards of more dubious character were known to shop.

And Evan was leading her straight toward it.

Trying to remain calm, she asked him, "W-where are we going?" Damn her nerves, making her stutter.

"My mother put something on reserve at Borgin and Burkes. I promised her I'd pick it up," he explained. "It's okay, you're with me. I'll protect you." He puffed out his chest a bit and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"O-okay." She squeezed his hand back and followed him under the archway. The alley was dark and mustier than it's more populated counterpart, and smelled vaguely of old fish. She stuck close to Evan's side as they navigated the narrow, shady street. It wasn't like she had much of a choice, as the cobblestones on the street were broken, missing, or otherwise out of place. It made traversing that particular alley rather difficult.

Borgin and Burkes was at the far side of the street, and they passed many dimly-lit shops with names like 'Dystyl Phaelanges' and 'Coffin Supplies'. In the middle of the street there was a suspiciously quiet pub called the Whyte Wyvern. Even during its slow hours, the customers of the Leaky Cauldron were audible from the exterior, but no sound emitted from this pub. Something about the dense quiet of the street raised goosebumps on her arms.

They finally reached the shop door and Evan paused, dropping her hand. "Would you mind hanging back a bit? The...item my mother sent me to get is of a rather sensitive nature."

"I would rather not stay out here," she said, glancing up and down the street for emphasis.

Evan shook his head, "No, of course not. I just mean you can...wander about the store while I talk to Mr. Borgin."

Hadley shrugged, as being within screaming distance would be better than being outside. The bell over the door tinkled as they entered and Evan made his way to the counter while Hadley turned left and pretending to browse the shelves. Glass cabinets held mysterious objects. In one of them, a silver jewelry box with feet that looked like real rat claws sat chewing on a necklace of thorns.

She took a couple steps further down the aisle she was in, gripping her wand. Her gut told her that this was not a safe place, and she should be on her guard. Maybe it was the mounted dismembered parts of house elves on the walls, or maybe it was because of the hushed, suspicious tones Evan and Mr. Borgin spoke to each other. Something about this place made the hair on the back of Hadley's neck stand up.

She pretended to be interested in a portrait of dark witch Beatrice Bellamy, examining it as the dark-haired subject of the painting regarded her with distaste.

"You there," the painting said to her, the voice haughty and nasal. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I am merely trying to determine the technique the artist used to paint you. Do you remember who it was who did your portrait?" Hadley engaged with the painting, seeing no point in lying. Since Madame Bellamy had lived in the early eighteenth century, there were only a few wizard artists it could've been who painted her.

"Of course I do! It was a lovely young man by the name of Boddington. Boddington Bellowes. He and I would spend hours together…" Hadley was impressed to see a wistful look in the painting's eyes. They really must've spent hours together for the painter to capture that emotion. She made a mental note to research the painter when she got to school.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump out of her skin as she turned to see Evan with a large smile on his face.

"Ready to go?" he asked, a glint of humor in his startling green eyes.

Hadley nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, please."

* * *

Sirius couldn't help but glance in the general direction of the archway that led down Knockturn Alley. It was self-preservation at this point; he expected his mother and brother to come strolling out of it as they had last year, Regulus dogging their mother's heels like the obedient dog he was.

He shook the thought out of his head, turning his attention back to James who was trying to haggle with a street vendor over the cost of a new gobstones set.

Their trip to Diagon Alley had been fun, but they had both felt Hadley's absence. A few times now James had turned his head to his left and opened his mouth to say something to someone who wasn't there. Sirius had let it slide, as he had more than once noted things that Hadley would've liked; one of James' awful jokes that would've quirked up one corner of her perfect pink lips, a goblin-made necklace in the window of Mistress Lovelace's Jewelry that would've made her blue eyes sparkle.

"Three galleons and seven knuts, final offer kid." The stall keeper looked like he wanted to hex James from here to Tuesday, so Sirius stepped in.

"Mate, why are you even bothering with this? You've a perfectly fine gobstones set at home." Sirius liked referring to the Potter's house as home. It was more of a home than his parents house had ever been, that was for damn sure.

"I promised to teach Lily how to play and wanted to get her a nice set to surprise her," James explained, running a hand through his untameable hair. The set itself was nice enough, dark onyx stones polished until they were shiny enough to see oneself in them. A few of them had a small inlaid silver design of a blooming flower.

He nudged James, "Two dates and you're already buying the bird presents? Merlin's beard, James, at this pace the two of you will be married before term ends! Besides," Under his breath so only James could hear, he added, "it's not like you don't have the money."

That earned him a pointed look from James, who didn't want to talk of such things ever. Since his parents had cut him off, Sirius had been borrowing money from the Potters to pay for his school things. They also put some money into a Gringotts vault for him as allowance, same as they did for James. He had once tried to talk them into simply loaning him the money, as he wasn't keen on taking charity. Mr. Potter had insisted that they didn't want so much as a sickle in recompense, as they considered him their son. That had been the only time Sirius allowed someone other than Regulus to see him cry.

"Fine," James sighed as he turned to the stall attendant, "It's a deal."

Sirius let his gaze wander as James dug around in his pockets for the proper amount of money. For some reason, he let his eyes wander back over to the dark, crooked archway to Knockturn Alley just in time to see a familiar swath of silky blonde hair walk through it. Hadley. Another head of blonde hair followed right behind her.

His stomach dropped when he saw to whom the second head of hair belonged. He slapped James on the arm as he accepted the box of gobstones from the attendant.

"Oi, mate, what -" James started, looking to where Sirius was staring. "Is that..Hadley? With _Evan Rosier_?"

"Well if it's not she's got herself one hell of a doppelganger," Sirius joked but he felt like he had just swallowed fire. He did not like the way they were walking together. He did not like how she smiled at him, or how she was holding his arm. How her whole face lit up at something he said. Most of all he did not like how this was making him feel, so he immediately shut the feelings out.

She was just James's neighbor.

That's all.

James, however, seemed less capable of shutting out his emotions and took off at a jog down the street after them shouting, "Hey, Hadley!"

Sirius followed him, the strings of his shopping bag cutting into his fingers. They should've saved Flourish and Blotts for last, which was a lesson they learned every damn year. Hadley turned her head and pulled Rosier to a stop along with her.

"James, hey! I didn't know you had errands in Diagon Alley today," she exclaimed, dropping Rosier's arm and embracing James. "Sirius, how are you?"

Both boys grunted a response as they caught Rosier sizing them up. Not like they weren't doing the same. Sirius was sure they could take him on with both wands and fists, as they had done so multiple times the year previous. Rosier was a Death-Eater-in-training or, as the Marauders had nicknamed them, a "deet", just like most of his Slytherin classmates. Clashes between them and others at Hogwarts (the Marauders included) had gotten quite violent as the war escalated.

"Fine, Had. How's your uncle doing?" He asked pointedly as his left hand moved to cover his wand. All Rosier had to do was make a move, and Sirius would be ready for him.

Hadley nodded, "He got his new prosthetic eye in yesterday. The last few have annoyed him, but mum thinks this one will stick."

"Good to hear," Sirius said, watching Rosier like a hawk. To his credit, Rosier was watching them with the same intensity. If Hadley sensed the tension, she didn't let it show.

Obviously she didn't, because she said, "Oh, how rude of me, James, Sirius, you know Evan Rosier right?"

"Yes," James said through gritted teeth.

"We've met," Sirius said, matching his tone to James's. Rosier had to know that they weren't okay with him

"On quite a few occasions, eh chaps?" Rosier chimed in amiably. Sirius narrowed his eyes; it seemed Rosier wanted to be on his best behavior in front of Hadley. He hadn't even reached for his wand which, given the fact that he was carrying no fewer than six shopping bags, would've been no easy task.

Hadley finally seemed to get what was going on as she looked from her friends to Rosier and back again.

She cleared her throat, "Well, I think I'm all shopped out for today." She raised herself up and kissed Rosier's cheek, which made Sirius's stomach churn in that way he didn't like again. "Evan, we should make our way back to the floos at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Of course," Rosier agreed in a gentlemanly manner.

"I'll see you two later, then?" Hadley asked, as if she knew what they were planning. He couldn't be one hundred percent positive, but he was rather confident that James was thinking the same thing he was; the second they returned home, they would confront Hadley about her association with a known deet. Sirius and James nodded their heads and grunted their assent before Rosier led Hadley back toward the Leaky Cauldron.

"This isn't good," James stated.

"There's no way she knows he's a deet, is there?"

"No. No way," James tried to sound confident in his answer, but Sirius could hear his hesitation as they watched her walk away. He tried to ignore Rosier's hand resting on the small of Hadley's back as he led her, as if she needed guidance from such a despicable ponce.

"Well," Sirius tried to sound breezy but he too was hesitant, "we'll find out soon enough, won't we?"

* * *

Hadley dreaded what awaited her back home. Her parents would still be at work, but in her mind's eye she could see James and Sirius waiting for her in her living room. James sitting forward on the sofa, his hands clenched together in front of him and his elbows resting on his knees, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Sirius would probably be lounging in the armchair, legs thrown over one arm and staring at the ceiling as if he could care less.

She nearly laughed at the sight in front of her when she exited the fireplace in her living room, for that was exactly what she'd found. The laugh died in her throat as she noticed the tense air in the room.

Placing her bags on the free armchair across from Sirius, she sighed and said, "Well, you'd best come out with it."

James rose to his feet, "What in the name of Merlin's saggy ballsack are you doing with Rosier?"

"No need to raise your voice, James," she shushed him as she turned to face her oldest friend. Sirius was still sitting in the armchair, but was now sitting at attention. His grey eyes were cold as he stared at her.

"You can't see him anymore. He's a deet, Hadley, and a dangerous one at that!"

"A _deet_?" She looked to James for clarification. His hazel eyes were wild, his black hair even wilder.

"Death Eater in Training," Sirius chimed in, his voice taught as a tightrope.

She scoffed and crossed her arms, "And you know this how?"

Fixing her gaze on Sirius, she pursed her lips. How could they possibly be sure of what Evan did in his spare time? Sure, his father was wealthy with lots of Ministry influence but that didn't mean Mr. Rosier was a Death Eater or that Evan was following in his footsteps. Hadley hadn't seen any concrete evidence that the Rosiers were as evil as James and Sirius seemed to think they were.

"We just do."

"That's not a good enough reason." Hadley could feel her ire rising.

Sirius stood up now, standing next to James. "Hadley, he's dangerous. I know he doesn't seem like it, but his father was spotted at a Death Eater raid a year ago. People have seen his mark."

"That doesn't mean Evan's a part of all that," she hated the defensive tone in her voice, but couldn't help it, "Everyone disagrees with their parents on some things. Just look at you and your parents."

James clenched his jaw, "Sirius got out. He's the exception."

"Families like mine and Rosier's don't let go easily. Blood purity brainwashing starts the minute you're born and _doesn't ever stop_. If I'd been in Slytherin, I assure you I would most likely be next in line for my dark mark." Sirius patted his left forearm for added effect.

"So all Slytherins are blood purists?" she countered.

"No, but Rosier is," James insisted.

"What would you have me do then, eh James? Stop seeing him? He's kind and smart and he's a gentleman! Not that I'd expect either one of you to know that given you immediately write him off as a Death Eater because of who his father is and because he happens to be in Slytherin."

They had no right telling her she couldn't see him. That was the frustrating thing about Gryffindors; their world was rather black and white. Hadley chose to see the shades of grey.

This war had good and bad people on both sides of the fight. Good people caught up in the bad things and bad people taking advantage of the good. From what she'd seen of Evan so far, if he was indeed a Deet, it was because his family was pressuring him into it. He had never shown the slightest inclination toward blood purity. At least, not around Hadley. However, they had only been on two dates. Perhaps Sirius and James were right...

No. They couldn't be. Something in her gut told her that she was right about Evan, that he was as good and kind as he'd led her to believe. Still, there was some room for doubt.

"Had, we just want you to be safe and with Rosier, that's not going to - "

"You can both take you self-righteous prejudice out of my house!" She interrupted Sirius, suddenly angry at the both of them for planting the seeds of doubt in her mind. She was right about Evan, she had to be. She was a Ravenclaw, after all, which had to count for some sort of higher intelligence.

James softened and reached out to her, "We're just trying to-"

"Out!" She screeched, throwing a pointed finger toward the front door.

With a doleful look and a frustrated sigh, James motioned for Sirius to follow him and they moved toward the front door instead of apparating home.

As soon as they were gone, Hadley slumped into the chair with all her bags on it. The events of the day threatened to overwhelm her, and she willed herself to stay calm as she heard Rafi pad into the room. The old dog rested his head on her knee and she carded her fingers through his fur. After a few minutes of petting him she rose to her feet and carried her Diagon Alley bags upstairs. Packing her Hogwarts trunk would help clear her mind.

She hoped.

* * *

 **So there's Chapter 8! I hope you liked it. If you did, you should tell me in a review!**

 **Also, just a quick note, I came up with Deet because I'm kinda lazy and didn't want to keep writing "Death Eater in Training" over and over. But wouldn't it be just like the Marauders to have a code for that?**

 **I have big, big plans for this story and I hope you keep reading! The best is yet to come!**


	9. Express to Drama

_1 September 1977_

For the second time that summer, Hadley found herself avoiding James and Sirius. It was too bad, really, as she'd grown accustomed to seeing or speaking with one of them at least once a day. Her trunk was all packed and waiting by the door to her bedroom, which she left as tidy as possible; she'd always hated coming home to a messy room. She'd spent the day before packing up her art supplies and storing them, as she wouldn't be able to use them until Christmas. Rafi had watched her from the chair, his amber eyes following her sadly around the room.

This morning, he sat next to her trunk with the same sad look on his face. Hadley's heart broke for him; he looked as if he was begging her to take him with to school. Merlin knew she'd tried. In her first year, she'd written a rather compelling list of reasons why dogs should be allowed at Hogwarts. She'd gotten signatures from all her Ravenclaw classmates, but Dumbledore had denied her request.

She stroked his ears in the way she knew he liked before leaving the room and going downstairs. Outside the door to the kitchen, she heard her mother's voice. What gave her pause was the hushed tone.

"Are you sure this is the right thing, Serg?" Her mother asked.

Her father replied, his tone still hushed but more confident than Alethea's, "Of course it is, you-know-who gets stronger every day!"

"But does it have to be in our own house?"

"Only to start, then we can move to a more secure location."

Hadley cleared her throat as she pushed open the kitchen door, Rafi running in ahead of her with a happy bark.

"Morning," she said to her parents as she poured herself a cuppa.

"Morning dear," her father said. "I took the liberty of feeding the dog."

Rafi scratched at the back door and Hadley let him out into the garden. She flicked her wand to butter her toast before sitting between her parents, who were casting dubious looks at each other. Hadley looked between them expectantly.

"Well? Nothing to say to me today?" she teased. When Xander had left for his final year at Hogwarts, her mother had made waffles with chocolate chips and whipped cream, her father had decorated the kitchen with Gryffindor colors and enchanted a few balloons into dancing lions. However, that had been before the war started. Her parents were decidedly more somber these days, so she hadn't expected the fanfare anyway. But was it too much to expect a _little_ something?

"Your father and I have made a decision," her mother said stiffly as she rose from her seat, "He'll tell you about it, though. I've got to get into work early; there was another raid in London last night."

Alethea paused as she passed behind Hadley's chair long enough to place a kiss in her daughter's hair and wish her good luck in her last year and that she would see her at Christmas.

"Right," Sergius said as his wife left the room, "Shall I cook up some sausages?"

She nodded as her stomach growled. Her father smiled at her and ruffled her hair like he did when she was little as he got up and moved toward the stove.

"Your mother and I have decided that we will support you going to a muggle university next year."

Hadley couldn't believe what she was hearing. When thinking about a career, she knew that art was her true passion. However, there weren't many art opportunities in their world, so she'd discussed going to a muggle university with her head of house, Professor Filidia Stallworth. Hogwarts had a seldom-used program to aid students who wanted to go to muggle schools, and she was sure Hadley would be perfect for it.

Her parents, however, hadn't been supportive of the idea. Hearing her father now declare their support while casually making breakfast was more than a surprise. She felt elated, as the future she'd imagined for herself just got one step closer.

"Wh-what?"

Sergius turned, "There's a condition, of course. You'll have to get all Es or higher on your N.E.W.T.s."

Her surprise and elation faltered for a second, but she accepted the terms. It would be a tough year, and she would have to really focus and keep her nose to the grindstone. She may even have to give up quidditch, but she would cross that bridge later.

For now, she simply enjoyed breakfast with her father.

As usual, Hadley and her father were early for the train. The platform was still relatively empty, as it was forty minutes before departure. A few other early birds were there hugging their parents goodbye and promising to write home much more often than they actually would. A few nervous-looking first-years occupied the benches along the platform while their parents chatted with each other.

"Wasn't too long ago you were one of them," her father said wistfully, nodding his head at the first-years and shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

"Hard to believe I was ever that small and nervous."

Sergius looked at her, a smile on his grizzled face, "Small, yes. Nervous? No. If memory serves, you nearly tore my arm off trying to get to the train. All you could talk about when you got your letter was going to Hogwarts and how you wanted to be a healer like your mother."

Hadley shifted uncomfortably, picking a loose thread on her sweater sleeve. "Yes, well, that _was_ a long time ago."

"I'll admit, we were surprised when your marks weren't...what we'd expected. But Hadley, don't ever think your mother and I are disappointed in you. Sure, art isn't a typical career for a young witch but," he shrugged, "What's so great about being typical?"

The half-past bell rang and Hadley hugged her father tight about the neck. His confession was exactly the reassurance she needed. She knew this upcoming year would be difficult, but it would be worth it to have her parents' approval and support while she was attending university.

"Well, I should really get to work."

"Right," she let go of her father and he kissed her forehead before walking back toward the platform entrance.

More students had started to arrive, so Hadley made her way to their usual compartment, stowing her things in the luggage rack and pulling her potions book out of her messenger bag. She would have to start studying now if she was going to impress Slughorn this year - and therefore pass his class with an E or higher. Eventually her friends Roger and Rachel showed up, stowing their things and settling into the seat across from her.

"Well I don't need to ask how your summers went, do I?" Hadley asked with a flirtatious wink at the young couple. Rachel was practically on Roger's lap, his arm slung around her shoulder and twirling in her hair.

"Oh, Hadley, don't be vulgar," Rachel chastised lightly, but Roger secretly returned Hadley's wink. "I spent most of the summer in Australia with my parents, you know that."

"What about you, Rog, any crazy tales from that internship?"

"Nah. The internship was a bust." Roger shrugged, but Hadley caught the flash of disappointment in his eyes.

Roger's father worked in the upper echelons of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, which had made the internship all the more exciting to Roger. He hadn't shut up about it their entire sixth year, so Hadley was a little glad he'd been taken down a peg.

"Wasn't quite the life-changing opportunity you thought, eh?"

"I filed paperwork and made tea and biscuit runs all summer, what do you think?"

"How was your summer?" Rachel asked quickly, changing the subject. "Your brother got married, right?"

"Yeah, Xander and Sophie got married. The wedding was a blast - well, until Sirius went and mucked everything up."

"Sirius?" Roger asked, tilting his head.

Rachel's eyes grew as big as saucers, "Sirius _Black_? Why was he at your brother's wedding?"

"He was my date," Hadley paused to take in their stunned reactions, "Didn't I tell you he was staying with James for the summer?"

Rachel dropped out from under her boyfriend's arm and dove into the seat next to Hadley, "You most certainly did not! I would've remembered if you'd told me the fittest boy in school was living next door to you all summer!"

"Oi!" Roger cried indignantly, "Fittest?"

"Hush, love," Rachel shushed him with a wave of her hand, "Oh, just wait until Laila hears about this, she'll hit the ceiling!"

"What will make me hit the ceiling?" the aforementioned Laila asked, entering the compartment and pushing her glasses up her nose.

"Hadley lived next to Sirius Black all summer and didn't tell us about it!" Rachel exclaimed.

Laila was instantly next to Hadley, her tortoiseshell glasses magnifying her already large hazel eyes,"So, how was it?"

"It?"

"You know," Laila wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, "With Black?"

Hadley caught her friend's meaning and recoiled, "What? No! I did not shag him!"

"Are you kidding me? That's all I would've done this summer!" Rachel exclaimed, earning another dejected "Oi!" from Roger.

Eventually, Hadley managed to pacify her friends with the story of how she and Sirius almost kissed at Xander's wedding, and then the compartment fell into a comfortable quiet. Hadley went back to her potions book, Roger and Rachel had a hushed conversation, and Leila read that day's issue of the Daily Prophet.

A few hours went by and when she'd heard all about Australia from Rachel and the trolley passed, Hadley decided to go put on her school uniform. Rachel had finally talked herself out and was asleep on Roger's shoulder, so Laila accompanied her.

The two girls made their way to the girl's changing car and waved hello at a few friends, pausing to hear about exciting summer goings-on from friends in other houses. On the way there she caught a glimpse of James and Sirius in a compartment with their other two friends, and she quickened her pace to avoid them noticing her.

Hadley changed clothes quickly and looked at herself in the mirror. She'd always thought herself decently pretty, but she hated the way her nose turned up slightly. She felt she was almost too skinny, but that came from skipping meals in order to study or paint. The dark circles under her eyes had gotten worse over the last week or so, as sleep had been difficult to come by.

Her uniform fit well, even though he knew Rachel would tease her about keeping her hemline at the Hogwarts-approved length. Most of the girls in the upper classes had chosen to raise their skirts an inch or two, but Hadley had never cared enough to try it. Perhaps now that she was seeing Evan she should reconsider? Curious to see what that would look like, she lifted the skirt a few inches and modeled it for herself in the mirror. Could seeing that much more of her leg help entice Evan? It didn't seem like much to her, but maybe it did make a difference. She made a mental note to ask Roger.

A knock at the door made her jump and drop her skirt.

"Hadley? Are you finished?" Laila asked from the other side of the door.

"Erm- yeah. Be out in a sec," she called, gathering up her normal clothes and shoving them into the bag. It was silly of her to think of such things, especially since she hadn't seen or spoken to Evan since their trip to Diagon Alley.

The two Ravenclaws started heading back to their compartment a few cars down the line when they were blockaded by other students clogging the narrow hallways.

"If you know what's good for you, Rosier, you'll shut your fucking mouth _now_ ," A voice rang out. She knew that voice. This was not good.

"Why don't you make me, Black?" Evan retorted.

Hadley pushed through the crowd, elbowing her way to where the mass of students ended. Opposite her stood Sirius, his knuckles white as he gripped his wand. Evan had his back to her, but he was gripping his wand as well. They were both tense, poised to strike any second. She could see Sirius's jaw muscles flex; he very much wanted to make Evan shut up. Probably with his fists.

Remus Lupin emerged in front of Sirius, whispering a few words to his black-haired friend. He held out a hand to each of them, getting in between them so as to prevent an altercation.

"Now, wait," he started, his voice calm and authoritative, "You don't want to start off the school year with a month's worth of detentions, do you? 'Cos that's where this is heading."

"He was the one who crashed into me," Evan stated. "All I did was request an apology."

Sirius lurched forward, "Bullshit!"

"Sirius, no-!"

Dodging around Remus, Sirius caught Evan about the middle and they both tumbled to the floor. Hadley threw her things down and jumped into the fray, not really thinking about her actions as she grabbed someone's arm and tried to wrench them off of the other one.

"Stop it!" she shouted, feeling someone else helping to break up the fight. Someone's elbow reared back, hitting her in the brow. Pain exploded in her temple and she backed away, not stopping until her back hit the opposite wall. After a moment she opened her eyes and saw that James had his hands hooked under Sirius's arms and was dragging him down the corridor. Evan was still on the ground, sneering up at everyone. With the help of some of his friends, the tall blonde stood and stormed away, murmuring something about "damned blood traitors" as he went.

The crowd had mostly dispersed, and Hadley took a few steps closer to Remus, Sirius, and James, waving off Laila's inquiries about whether or not she was okay. The pain had ebbed to a dull throb, and she knew there would be a bruise there later. At the moment she didn't care. She wanted to know what to do now.

"Remus," she said, putting a hand on the tall boy's slightly worn robe, "Is - can I - is there anything I can do?"

Remus tensed under her touch, "No, Hadley, just go back to your compartment."

He started to walk away but she was insistent, gripping his sleeve probably harder than was necessary to stop him from leaving.

"But I can-"

"You've done quite enough already," Remus snapped, rounding on her and wrenching his arm out of her grip. She stood there dumbfounded. Why was he trying to turn this around on her? What had she done other than try to help stop the fight? The Remus Lupin she knew was even-tempered and kind, a much different person than the Remus Lupin that stood before her now, accusing her of Merlin knew what.

Hadley opened her mouth to retort, but James - who had successfully shoved Sirius back into their compartment - looked back at her with a regretful look in his eyes and said, "Just go, Hadley."

That look stung Hadley enough that she acquiesced without further comment.

* * *

Normally Hadley had always looked forward to the start of term feast, but tonight she found herself to be without appetite. With the pain in her head, the Grand Hall's echoes were nearly unbearable. She chose to tune out the sorting and deflect the questions from her friends, choosing to try and parse out what had happened on the train between Evan and Sirius.

The last time she'd seen Sirius before that day was when she'd kicked him and James out of her house for simply expressing to her their concerns about her seeing Evan. Maybe that had something to do with it. But she wasn't one of those self-centered girls who relished in the drama, so she'd been wracking her brain for any sort of alternative scenario. No matter how she tried to explain it away, the fact that _she_ could've been the cause of the fight lingered and had turned her stomach into a tight, unrelenting knot. Paired with the headache from the knock on her temple earlier, she decided to leave the great hall as soon as she possibly could.

The sorting finished and Headmaster Dumbledore took the center podium, his beard noticeably more white than grey now but he looked no less approachable than he always had.

Folding his hands in front of him after calling for quiet, he began his traditional speech, and the hall listened with rapt attention.

"Welcome, welcome, old students and new. A few short announcements before we begin; Professor Dorbor is currently on paternity leave, Professor Sylas will be filling in in the meantime. Also note that the plumbing on the second floor men's bathroom will be fixed within the week. Until then, do not enter unless you wish to be forced to purchase a new pair of shoes," he paused, and the hall rippled with chuckles.

Dumbledore paused, his face darkening as he raised his hand from quiet, "With that out of the way, onto a more...serious topic. Now, more than ever, it is important to look beyond house loyalty and reach out to the humanity in each other. I'm afraid the world is becoming a dark and dangerous place, but I assure you that Hogwarts has been and always will be a safe place for _all_ of its students. To ensure that, we have added a few additional school rules. First, any student found with a Dark Mark will be instantly expelled without question. Second, any students found duelling outside of class or duelling club will receive a month's detention. Whatever may be going on in the world beyond these halls, this is still an institution of learning and we plan to keep it as such. Now, without further ado, tuck in!"

Food magically appeared on the serving platters in front of them, and to avoid more questions from her friends Hadley quietly slipped away before her friends could notice she was gone.

* * *

 **Review please!**


	10. Revenge As Cold as Pea Soup

**As always, I am absolutely sorry about my long absence! However, I thought I had already posted this chapter when I actually hadn't...so now I've got two ready to go for you! I should post the next one in a few days.**

 **Again, as always, thank you so much for your continued support while I was away. You people make this whole writing-for-free thing worth it!**

* * *

 _September 16, 1977_

Nearly two weeks into term and Hadley had spent damn near every available moment in the library studying. Even though the Ravenclaw common room was designed for study as well, Hadley had always found the presence of her friends and the proximity to her bed to be too distracting. This spot in the library suited her just fine; back by the Restricted section, tucked behind the corner where two tall stacks met.

It was quiet, it was private, it was perfect.

Waving her wand, she warmed up the tea she'd snuck in from the Great Hall and wrapped her blue and bronze scarf around her neck. It was chilly in this part of the library, just enough to keep other people away. She propped her feet up on the chair opposite hers and leaned back, sipping her tea and pouring over her Potions notes. They had an exam in a week on the theory of plant-based tinctures and she'd be damned if she failed it.

"And here we see the studious Hadley, puzzling over parchments. Sometime she appears so still, she becomes like the artworks she so admires. Let's watch to see if she does anything interesting, shall we?" James' voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Who are you, Newt Scamander?" She asked as she rolled her eyes at him. He grinned at her impishly, his brown eyes alight with mirth.

"Maybe I was in a past life," he said, taking a step closer to the table.

"Newt Scamander is still alive, you numbskull. Care to tell me why you're interrupting my moment of quiet solitude?"

James exhaled heavily and ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "I came to apologize about the whole Rosier thing."

"Really?" Hadley sat up. This was unlike James. He was stubborn and stood his ground, sometimes even after he was proven wrong. Perhaps Lily was softening him.

"Yes, really! This is our last year at Hogwarts, you're one of my closest mates, and we should be tearing it up this year, not fighting." He took another step forward and she slid the chair opposite her out from under the table.

"I've missed you too. I just...wasn't sure how to approach you after that thing on the train and, well, everything else," She admitted. Part of the reason she'd avoided him was because of Sirius's near-constant presence at his side. She wasn't sure where she stood in Black's opinion, and didn't like the fact that she actually cared.

He took the seat across from her and leaned his elbows on the table. "Me neither. Can we just chalk it up to all of us acting like shitheads?"

"Of course," she was eager to put the ugliness of her words and the thoughts of what happened on the train in the past, so she agreed to the compromise. In hindsight, she had overreacted. A bit. She was willing to admit that much.

James sighed in relief and leaned back, a smile gracing his lips. "Good. So what've you been doing the first few weeks back?"

"You're looking at it," Hadley gestured to her stacks of books and papers.

"What, you've been _studying_ this whole time?"

"I'm a Ravenclaw, isn't that all we do?" She smirked at his shocked expression.

James smirked and picked at some dry skin on the palm of his hand. "Well yeah, other Ravenclaws, but with your marks last year-"

"Oi! I did pretty well considering," she cried indignantly. "Truth is, my parents agreed to pay for muggle university."

James' expression turned to shock again, "Really? How'd you wear them down?"

She shrugged, "I didn't. I just came down to breakfast before term started and my dad said that if I get all E's or higher they'll pay for university."

James reached forward and put a hand on her forearm, "That's great, Had!"

"I know! How's your term been so far, Head Boy?"

"Getting used to being called Head Boy," He smirked at her and retracted his hand, throwing that arm casually over the back of his chair. That was what Hadley had always loved about her friendship with James; how quickly and easily they could forgive each other and get back to being friends.

They chatted a bit longer, Hadley being sure to ask about his relationship with Lily. She'd seen them partnered together in Potions, bickering like an old married couple. It made her question her reservations about James asking the redhead out that summer; maybe Sirius had been right and they were tailor-made for each other. Only time would tell.

He asked about her friends and she mentioned that Rachel and Roger had broken up, and that Laila had caught Roger necking with Wilhelmina Snodgrass in a dark corridor.

"So Rachel's been inconsolable this last week - terrible drama queen, that one. I feel awful for her. Just wish there was something I could do to Roger to make her feel better."

"Well - "

"Without harming him. He's still my friend too," she admitted.

"You know, if you put a permanence charm on a bottle of hair dye and replace his shampoo with that, it has quite an effect," James suggested, "But as Head Boy I would strongly suggest against such shenanigans."

He leaned across the table and winked at her. It had become clear that James "let's blow off homework and go raid the kitchens for a midnight snack" Potter was maturing. Whether from his ambition to do better in school, his relationship with Lily, or his duties as Head Boy Hadley didn't know, but she liked seeing this new side of her best friend. The old James was still in there, but it was less likely that Hadley would be woken up at three am to go help set up the Marauders' latest prank.

"And as a serious, no-nonsense student who is completely focused on her studies, I wouldn't even dream of doing such a thing." She winked back at him, but made a show of making a note on her parchment. James let out a hearty laugh that she was sure would get them a death glare from Madam Pince, but the old crone was nowhere to be seen.

The blonde yawned. It was getting late, and James had Head Boy patrol to do before turning in for the night. He offered to walk her to Ravenclaw Tower, but she declined. The two teens parted ways, best of friends once again.

* * *

 _September 19, 1977_

Hadley claimed a stomach bug to get out of afternoon classes a few days later. Hair dye was easy enough to come by in the black market that the Hufflepuffs ran, and she'd chosen a truly horrific color. But, since Roger was still her friend, she'd cursed the dye to remain permanent for only a week. Plus, he'd confided in her that he was only into Snodgrass - Snotarse, as Rachel had so maturely taken to calling her - for a low-maintenance relationship, and an easy lay. While still a shitty move on his part, Hadley could understand his reasoning.

She waited until she was positive that the seventh year boys were all out before quickly pocketing the dye and marching up the stairs.

Unlike the other houses, the Ravenclaw dorms were made up of seperate rooms for each student, each floor having a lounge area in the middle. Seemingly abandoned by the house elves, it was a delicate dance around stacks of books, old quidditch gear, discarded potions ingredients, and instruments of all kinds. The smell alone was enough to keep any sane person away, but Hadley had a mission to complete.

Turning toward the door marked 'Showers', she cast a detection spell - just in case. No one was in there, so she opened the door and found the small cupboard marked 'R. Barry'. It wasn't difficult to swap his current shampoo - thankfully in a dark purple glass bottle - for the dye. To mask the smell, she kept some of his old shampoo in the bottle and gave it a good shake before replacing it in the locker.

She heard a door in the lounge slam and voices start to make their way toward her. Careful not to slam the cupboard, she dodged into one of the shower stalls and shut the curtain. Praying to whatever gods there were, she hoped no one looked in the stall while at the same time cursing herself for not asking to borrow James's invisibility cloak. Hindsight was never her friend.

Another door opened and shut. The voices disappeared. Hadley let out a breath of relief, moving the curtain aside and scurrying out through the lounge.

She collapsed back on her bed, both exhilarated and worried. While she was no stranger to pulling pranks, she'd usually helped the Marauders, which were in no way directed at her friends. This prank was all her doing, and it was against one of her best guy friends. But if it could help pull Rachel out of her funk she was willing to do it. Roger would forgive her, maybe even laugh along with her after a few days had passed.

Bright colors flashed in her peripheral vision, and she turned her head toward them. Somehow she'd missed a small bouquet of wildflowers that lay on her pillow. She picked them up and smelled them; they smelled fresh, like the meadow next to the Black Lake. There was no card, but she had her suspicions about who sent them.

Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep, clutching the flowers to her chest and dreaming about a certain grey-eyed boy.

* * *

Sirius sat in his afternoon classes bored out of his skull. Letting his mind wander - as his mind was often wont to do - he glanced over at Hadley's empty spot and wondered if she'd gotten the flowers he'd sent up to her room with a house elf.

It was his small attempt at a reconciliation; he'd seen James and Hadley had gotten into their normal routine as friends, but she'd kept Sirius at arms length. Even though he understood that she and James's friendship was older and stronger, it still annoyed him that she hadn't forgiven him for what happened on the train.

And really, what was there for her to forgive? Rosier had been the one to elbow her in the face when she tried to intervene. As far as he knew, she didn't know what started the fight.

" _Get out of my way, blood traitor," Rosier had said after their shoulders had roughly connected. Sirius knew he shouldn't, but he turned._

" _Why don't you run back to your whore of a mother and tell her that Sirius says hello?" Sirius bit back. In the upper echelons of wizarding society, the philanderings of one Mrs. Satine Rosier were common knowledge. She'd propositioned many young men over the last few years, Sirius included, but he hadn't taken her up on the offer. She was much too skinny for Sirius's taste._

" _Of course, right after you tell Hadley that we should be more discreet next time; the neighbors heard everything."_

 _Sirius stiffened, his hands clenching into fists. He knew deep down that Rosier's claim was untrue, but something about the surety of his tone irked Sirius more than he liked to admit. A crowd had started to form around them, as they were both blocking the corridor._

" _If you know what's good for you, Rosier, you'll shut your fucking mouth. Now." he growled._

* * *

 _September 20, 1977_

Hadley couldn't control her nerves that morning. Her leg kept bouncing under the table and she kept glancing at the door. She knew she should probably pass on her morning coffee, but she'd been awake since half-two in the morning. At that point, caffeine was a necessity.

"Hadley, you alright?" Laila asked from across the table, eyeing her friend over the brim of her glasses. Rachel sat next to Laila, half-heartedly spooning a bowl of oatmeal.

"Didn't sleep too well last night. How are you, Rach?" She deflected Laila's concern, not wanting to give away the surprise. Rachel shrugged, but didn't say anything. She just kept staring at her oatmeal.

Hadley opened her mouth to offer advice, but at that moment the Great Hall seemed to still. It was a ripple effect, washing over her from right to left, causing her to look toward the wave of silence that spread through the hall.

Roger stood in the doorway of the Great Hall, his face as red as a tomato, which provided a stark and sickening contrast to his now vomit-green hair.

She had to give him credit; she hadn't thought he would have the courage to show his face. Laila nudged Rachel's arm and the brunette looked over to where she was pointing. Watching her face brighten had made all the nerves worth it, as Rachel's lips stretched into the first smile Hadley had seen from her in a week.

Pulling up the hood of his robe, Roger strode down the table and sat next to his mates Geoff and Charlie, who wailed with laughter. They were too far away for Hadley to hear their comments, but Roger scowled, rolled his eyes, and made his way back toward where Hadley sat.

Rachel was trying to hide her giggles behind her hand and failing miserably. Roger paused in front of her.

"I suppose you had something to do with this?" he asked haughtily.

Rachel shook her head, "No, but I think it suits you - that vomit green color."

"Yeah, Rog, you new hair color is _sick_!" Laila guffawed loudly, making Hadley laugh as well.

"Ha ha ha, very funny. Hope you're proud of yourself." Roger shrunk a little bit and Hadley felt a twinge of guilt in her chest.

"Don't worry, Rog, it'll only last a week," she explained before biting into a scone.

His jaw dropped and his shoulders slumped, " _You_ did this?!"

Hadley shrugged, "You were acting like a total wanker, so yeah, I did that." She motioned to his hair, "But like I said, it'll only last a week."

"A _week_?!" he screeched, grasping the corners of his hood and pulling it down tight against his head.

"Could've been much worse. I could've made it last forever," she smirked at Laila and Rachel, who were staring at her with awe. She had helped the Marauders in the past, but hadn't advertised her involvement. Pranks were not her thing, so her sudden choice to dye Roger's hair green was a bit jarring to her Ravenclaw friends.

"But - you...I can't believe - GAH!" Roger stuttered before turning on his heel and retreating out of the Great Hall.

On their way to class, Rachel engulfed Hadley in a hug, spewing her thanks profusely. When she finally released her, Hadley caught sight of James and Sirius just ahead of them.

"Actually, Rachel, you should be thanking James. He's the one who gave me the idea." She explained. Rachel blushed and ignored the comment as she and Laila left to go to Arithmancy. Hadley strode up behind the two dark-haired boys, tugging on a stray lock of James' hair.

"Oi! That's attached," he said as he turned around. "Hadley! I was hoping I'd run into you! Great work back there, really excellent."

"Yeah, well I had a brilliant flash of inspiration. So thank you, it really cheered Rachel up." She fell into step between the two boys.

"You should be thanking Sirius. Something similar happened to him last year." James inclined his head at Sirius, who smirked as they kept walking.

"Really? I don't remember that."

"That's because I wore it with absolute confidence, unlike your mate Roger." Sirius shot her a wink and she felt heat rise to her cheeks.

James nodded in agreement, "Well, you had a much better color than pea-soup green, too."

"True, I would very much prefer neon pink to that shit green color. Nice touch, Had."

"Thanks, Sirius."

The trio walked in silence for a moment until they reached a junction with another corridor. James turned and bid them farewell as he was headed to Care of Magical Creatures. Hadley and Sirius went on to walk out to the greenhouses for Herbology.

"So," Hadley started, "Do I have you to thank for the flowers left on my pillow yesterday?"

She expected him to deny it, to act appalled at her suggestion that he would send her flowers, but he just shrugged.

"Heard you were ill, thought the flowers might cheer you up." Was he...bashful? He had one hand tapping on the strap of his messenger bag, the other shoved into his pocket. He kept his eyes fixed on the corridor ahead of them.

Hadley cleared her throat, "Well that was...that was very kind of you. Even though I wasn't ill, I was pretending to be sick so I could play a prank."

As they approached the door out to the green houses, Sirius sped up and opened the door for her.

"Had I known that, it would've been a much bigger bouquet," he said as she passed him, a wolfish grin on his gorgeous face.

She returned his flirtatious tone, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she did, "There's always next time."

Hadley didn't give him the chance to respond as she took her seat with her housemates and Professor Sprout called the class to order. She was sure to give her hips a little extra sway as she did, feeling Sirius' eyes burning a hole in the back of her legs.


	11. Realities of Wartime

_October 5, 1977_

"So the dragon says to the rabbit, 'mate, that's not a wand!" Roger exclaimed and her group of friends burst into laughter. Hadley chuckled, her attention focused more on the potion in front of her than her friend's jokes.

By the time Roger's hair had faded back to its normal color, he and Rachel had made amends. So much so that Rachel had even invited Wilhemina to their cluster of tables in Potions. Just to prove that she was the bigger person.

Hadley turned the page as Charlie started telling a joke of his own. Since it began with "There once was a girl from Dorchester," she was more than happy to bury her thoughts in the assignment.

The door to the Potions room creaked open and Professor Statewell, head of Ravenclaw house, poked her head in.

"Excuse me, Horace, but may I borrow Miss Sinclair for a moment?" she asked in her Welsh accent. Slughorn nodded from where he sat at his desk, his feet up, not really paying attention.

"Bring your things, Hadley," her head of house directed. Hadley complied. Waving a farewell to her friends, she followed Professor Statewell out of the dungeons.

"Excuse me, Professor, what is this about?" she queried, not sure if she wanted the answer or not. Only a few things made professors pull students out of class, and usually none of them were good. Especially since the war had started.

"Headmaster Dumbledore would like to see you in his office. That is all I know," Statewell explained, keeping her eyes forward. The older woman's expression was blank, her jowly wrinkled face betraying nothing.

As they got closer to the Headmaster's office, a familiar voice greeted her.

"Hadley, hey!" James shouted. She turned, watching the messy-haired boy jog up behind her leaving Professor McGonagall behind him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and planted a friendly kiss on her temple.

"Where are you off to, then?" she asked, settling in under his arm.

He gestured down the hallway in the direction they were going. "Summons from the Headmaster. Don't know what it's about, though."

"Huh," she sighed, "Same here. What do you think it's about? Why would he need to see both of us?"

James shrugged, "Dunno."

Despite his lackadaisical attitude toward their meeting, Hadley couldn't help but start to feel nervous. Something about this situation raised a lot of uncomfortable questions. One of the only things she and James had in common - as far as Headmaster Dumbledore was concerned - was that they lived next door to each other.

She tried to push the anxiety away as Professor Statewell said the password and the griffin jumped aside. The two students and their professors climbed the stairs together in silence and Hadley knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The group entered the office; James flopping into a chair like it was something he did all the time - which Hadley didn't doubt was the truth - while she remained closer to the door. Professors McGonagall and Statewell moved to stand along the wall and greeted a man Hadley had never seen before.

Dumbledore himself leaned against the front side of his desk, closest to the chair James sat in. Hadley nodded to the headmaster as she twisted the strap of her bag and inspected the strange man. He was in his late thirties at the most, but his brown hair was already thinning at an alarming rate. He was thin and the sort of pale that came from lack of sleep and overwork. His suit was rumpled and the bags under his eyes were dark purple. The most telling thing about his was the way he carefully avoided looking at James or Hadley.

Something was _very_ wrong.

"Miss Sinclair, Mister Potter, thank you for your prompt arrival," Dumbledore started, "Won't you sit down, Miss Sinclair?"

Hadley reluctantly obliged, "What is this about, Headmaster?"

"Don't be rude, Had. Maybe Al's got some good news for us," James joked lightly, tapping her knee with the back of his hand in light reprimand.

"I am afraid, Mister Potter, that I do not. May I introduce Auror Thorfinn Crocker of the Ministry of Magic?"

James straightened in his chair and Hadley slumped backward.

Thorfinn stepped forward, "Last night we received a report about possible Death Eater activity in Godric's Hollow. Myself, along with a few other Aurors were sent to patrol and secure the area, as Death Eater activity could be anything from a secret meeting to a scouting mission. This activity, however, was...not so tame."

The man paused and sipped his tea, the delicate cup tinkling erratically against the saucer as he set it down. He was nervous. A nervous Auror was never a good sign.

"A group of Death Eaters entered into the home of Sergius and Alethea Sinclair, we aren't sure as to why, but there was...quite the struggle. Fleamont Potter tried to assist his neighbors, and was injured quite badly in the fight. Mrs. Sinclair...perished."

Hadley's breath caught in her throat. Her head suddenly felt stuffed with cotton.

No. He was wrong.

"My mother is," she gulped, "Dead?"

For the first time, Thorfinn raised his eyes to meet hers. "I'm afraid so, Miss Sinclair."

Her throat began to constrict as tears sprung into her eyes. She couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe. Immediately, James was in front of her on his knees, gathering her into his arms and murmuring comforting words that blew right over her. Even the portraits seemed to hold their breath. Well, those which were awake at the moment.

"What about my father? Is he okay? Is he alive? Why isn't he here?" She pushed her way out of James's arms and stared down the Auror. The questions poured out of her, her breath quickening to the point where she was becoming a little lightheaded.

The Auror shuffled his feet, but answered her. "Your father is, at this time, considered missing."

Her stomach dropped and she sat down again.

Missing.

The word hung in the air like a wisp of smoke from her father's pipe. _Missing_. These days, that word was code for _probably dead_.

Dumbledore's steady voice rang through the office, "Miss Sinclair, I am so sorry for your loss. Your brother will be here this afternoon to collect you. From then you have one week to...settle your parent's affairs and return to school. Mister Potter, you will have three days to visit your father and provide what comforts you can to your mother. You are both excused from classes for the day, and may return to your dormitories and gather your things."

With that, Hadley stood on shaking legs and dashed from the office, leaving James behind. The room had suddenly began to feel stuffy and small - like she couldn't breathe. She stumbled into the hallway and propped herself against the opposite wall for support. It wasn't until she felt her voice give out that she realized the screams echoing through the corridor were coming from her.

The tears were coming now, and there was no way of stopping them. Wave after wave of them, dripping down her cheeks and gathering under her chin in the way she hated. But she wouldn't - couldn't - wipe them away. Her limbs felt weak, like a newborn foal's. If a bludger was headed her way at that moment, she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge it.

Over the sounds of her wailing she barely heard a group of footsteps pounding over to her. She could feel a pair of strong arms wrap around her and immediately clung to whomever it was that was holding her, unabashedly dampening the shoulder of their uniform with her tears.

* * *

The trio of Marauders ran towards the racket; it sounded like a wounded banshee caught in a rainstorm, the noise echoing through the corridor. Sirius lead the way and Peter trailed behind like the chicken he was. A familiar blonde had herself propped up against the wall, heart-wrenching sobs tearing from her throat. Instinct took over Sirius, and before he knew what he was doing he had wrapped his arms around her. She slumped against him and he let her, taking some of her weight.

Sirius desperately wondered what had her so distraught. He looked over her head at Remus and Peter, all three of them exchanging confused glances as James stumbled off of the staircase across the hall, looking dazed.

"Shh, it's alright," Sirius said, a hand rubbing comforting circles on her back.

Remus was the first to speak, "James, what the bloody hell happened?"

James's voice was small. He cleared his throat, "There was an attack. Mrs. Sinclair is," he coughed a bit, "Dead. Mr. Sinclair is missing.

"Dead parents?" Peter asked tactlessly. Remus quickly reached out and punched him in the chest, eliciting a pained grunt from Pete. Sirius tightened his arms around Hadley, his heart breaking for her.

"Fuck…" he murmured because he couldn't think of anything else to say. None of them could, and the Marauders were caught in a rare moment of silence. The four of them exchanged glances, James staring at the floor. Hadley sniffled from his chest, her wails having calmed to whimpers.

Continuing to stroke her back, he couldn't help but think back to her brother's wedding - the last time she had willingly been this close to him - and his heart gave a lurch. If she knew he was the one comforting her, she would push him away for sure because, while she had forgiven James, he wasn't sure where he stood with her. It didn't occur to him until that moment how much he had missed her. What a strange sensation it was…

"I...I need to get my things," Her voice was so small he barely heard her.

Wordlessly, Remus nodded in the general direction of Ravenclaw Tower. Sirius started walking, making sure to keep on arm around Hadley - more for direction's sake, as she was practically buried in his side. He decided to keep her close for as long as she needed him to; he would be her shoulder to cry on that day.

They reached the eagle and Hadley stepped forward.

"What asks, but never answers?" the eagle asked.

"An owl," Hadley replied automatically. How her brain was still functioning was a mystery to Sirius, but he didn't point it out. The door opened and she glanced back at the boys behind her.

"James, you should really go get your own things," she muttered softly, keeping her eyes on the floor. "I don't need four helpers."

"Maybe just two, then," Remus offered, shooting a look back at Peter and James. Since she was still clinging onto Sirius with no indication she would release him anytime soon, he safely assumed he would be the other.

"We've got this, guys," he explained. The group parted ways and the threesome made their way up to her dormitory. Sirius tried to pretend like he didn't know exactly where he was going, but he ended up leading Hadley and Remus to the seventh year girl's dorm. Remus shot him a quick look of pretend shock and Sirius flipped him off for it.

Hadley's room was like the others he'd been in, but she'd managed to decorate it to her liking. The walls were dark blue save for one that remained white, with a large bronze eagle painted across it. He recognized Hadley's work when he saw it, and it caught him in near-awe. This eagle was different than her sketches and other paintings, as she'd charmed the head to react to those entering. It squwaked loudly until Hadley waved her wand, silencing it without muttering a word.

"So, what will you need for a week at home?" Remus asked, trying to keep his voice chipper as Hadley sat down on her bed, finally disengaging from Sirius.

"Um, maybe...some books? I've got clothes at home I can wear," she dragged her hand through her white-blonde hair and glanced around, "There's a jacket in the wardrobe -"

She got up and started walking over to the aforementioned wardrobe, but stopped in her tracks in front of it. As a part of her personalization, she'd magicked a few of her drawings to the front of the wardrobe, and her eyes seemed stuck to one in particular.

Sirius watched as her blank mask shattered; she was looking at a portrait she'd sketched of her father and mother together on the couch. Hadley doubled over at the waist and let out a strangled cry.

Remus was closer, and reached her before Sirius could. Unlike Sirius, he kept his distance by respectfully rubbing her back and offering her a hand to hold. She took it and squeezed, her knuckles turning white.

"I can't...I can't believe…what if he's..." she muttered through her tears. Her breath hitched and he thought she might be sick, but she wasn't. Her tears wouldn't stop, and Remus looked helplessly at Sirius, eyes wide in a silent plea for help. The two of them didn't really know each other well enough for Remus to enfold her in his arms like Sirius could. Nodding to his friend, Sirius took his place next to the crying girl, who immediately clung to him.

While he hadn't done it in a while, Sirius was no stranger to offering comfort. Many a night he'd sat up with his arms around Regulus when they were young and their mother had spent the better part of the day screaming at them. Most days Reg could handle it just fine, but there was the occasional meltdown that Sirius would be more than willing to help him with. It was an even trade; Reg would fix up Sirius's wounds when their father came home angry, and the elder son managed to get on his last nerve.

But holding Hadley was wholly different. She fit against him like a puzzle piece, and she clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her from flying away.

It was a remarkable turnaround from their awkward avoidance of each other, and though he was so incredibly sorry for the circumstances, he wasn't sorry she was in his arms.

"Here," Remus said, crouching down and holding out a bit of his chocolate to her. "It'll help. It's got a mild cheering charm on it. Works wonders on anxiety. My mum died...back in June. Breast cancer, not that you need to know that- just here, eat some."

Hadley took a small nibble and looked up at Sirius. "Thank you. Both of you. For helping me."

Before Sirius could squeeze her tighter to him, she extricated herself from his arms. He felt cold where she had been pressed against him. The chocolate seemed to have helped a bit, but her movements were robotic instead of graceful as she gathered the things she wanted to take home with her. A sketchbook, some pencils, and a book about wizard artists who had achieved success in the Muggle world. She turned and started toward the door, ignoring the two boys in her room. At the last second, she moved back to her bed and grabbed the neatly folded throw blanket at the end of it, draping it over her shoulders.

With that, the three teens quit the room.

* * *

Hadley felt numb as she walked through the thankfully empty hallways, the two marauders behind her and maintaining a respectful distance. Xander was waiting for her in Dumbledore's office for her, but she was in no hurry to leave Hogwarts and face the reality of the situation.

She walked slowly, her eyes fixed to the stone floors. As they got closer to the headmaster's office, she heard someone calling her name.

"Hadley! Had!" Evan called, jogging down the empty hallway toward her. Shuffling steps behind her brought Sirius to her shoulder, but she put a hand on his chest to stop him from moving any closer. Giving him a warning look, she took a few steps forward to confront Evan.

"Merlin's beard Hadley, I just heard the news. I would've come sooner but I was sitting a divination exam - bit ironic, really," Evan chuckled a bit but quickly gathered himself and put his hands on her upper arms. "Are you okay?"

"So the whole school's talking about how my mum is dead and my father's missing?" Hadley asked rhetorically. Of course the whole school was talking about it by now - nothing stayed secret for long at Hogwarts.

Evan's brow furrowed and he tilted his head, "What? No! That's terrible!"

Hadley deflated. "Then I really don't care what they're saying. I have to go, Evan. I'll be back in a week."

She pulled the blonde boy closer and hugged him tightly, muttering a thanks into his shoulder. He hugged her back for a second before releasing her.

She looked back over to Remus and Sirius, noticing how tense the former looked. "Oh!" she exclaimed, reaching into her pocket where she had stashed Remus's enchanted chocolate bar. When she offered it back to him he insisted that she keep it.

"I've got plenty more where that came from," he explained, a slightly sad smile on his lips.

That small act of kindness made her tear up and she hugged both of the Gryffindors, kissing each of their cheeks quickly before releasing them and heading upstairs.

 _Time to face reality_.

* * *

 **The plot thickens! This chapter was a bit difficult to write, but hopefully the next few will be easier. I deeply appreciate the continued support and hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Tell me your thoughts in a review!**


	12. One Dead, One Missing, One Injured

_6 October, 1977_

It didn't feel real until the morning after, when Hadley woke up in her room. Rafi wasn't asleep by her feet. He wasn't anywhere anymore.

The pain hit her in the chest. She gripped at her heart and fell back against the pillows, letting the tears come. Reality was settling in like a cold, unwelcome weight on top of her.

Her mother was dead. Her dog was dead. Her father was missing, probably dead. Hadley felt their losses so deeply that it physically hurt. What she wouldn't give to have her mum burst through the door and admonish her for being in bed so late, to hear her father's laugh coming from the kitchen and smell his pipe tobacco.

 _He might still be alive,_ she told herself, _don't write him off just yet._

Seeing the leftovers of the destruction in the hallway downstairs and on the staircase last night wasn't helpful either. The Auror Office - or whatever department handled such things - had cleaned up the blood, Xander had told her, but they'd left the banister in shambles and the scorch marks on the carpet and walls. Apparently it had been a bit of a firefight.

"Hadley?" A soft voice asked from the other side of her door. Sophie knocked quietly and pushed the door open gently, as if Hadley would startle. "You awake?"

"Yeah," Hadley sniffled from under her blanket, making no effort to welcome her sister in law into the room. She was facing toward her window, her back to the door and blankets clutched tight about her body.

"Xan sent me...you two have that meeting at Gringott's in a bit," the dark-haired beauty explained, approaching the bed. "I brought you some tea, I'll just...leave it on the table here."

"Thanks, Soph. I'll be down in a minute." Hadley heard the other woman sigh slightly, a mug being placed on her bedside table, and Sophie's delicate footsteps out the door. For a second she expected to hear Rafi's paws against the carpet, but she never would again.

She drew the blankets up over her head, like she did whenever she needed to block out the world for a little bit. The meeting at Gringott's wasn't for another two hours. She had time to wallow.

Hadley didn't know or care how much time had passed, but eventually she got up and took a scalding hot shower, dressed, and went downstairs.

* * *

Xander was in the kitchen, forehead resting on his hand as he stared at the Daily Prophet. The two siblings hadn't talked much since he picked her up at Hogwarts the previous day, but it wasn't a tense silence.

"Page eleven," Xander said as Hadley crossed to the sink, tossing the now cold tea down the sink and starting the kettle to make coffee.

"What?"

"Our parents aren't even mentioned by name. Listen to this, ' _A recent Death Eater attack on the small town of Godric's Hollow left one dead, one missing, and one injured. Sources in the Auror's Office say the motive is unclear, but they will continue the investigation until the missing person is found_.'" Xander read the short article aloud to his sister before slamming his hands on the table. Hadley jumped and turned. Her brother's hands were fisted in his hair, his brown eyes glaring at the paper.

Hadley stood behind her brother, put a hand on his back. His tense shoulders relaxed a bit.

"I just...I can't believe…" he muttered. She could tell from the tightness in his tone that he was holding back tears.

"I know, Xan," Hadley said, rubbing circles on his back with her left hand, the right resting on his shoulder. He reached up with his right hand to grasp hers as he let out a sob.

"We're all we've got left, Hadley," he croaked between sobs. Hadley bent over and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, hugging him from behind.

"Dad could still be alive," she offered weakly, her voice a whisper. They both fell silent and Hadley knew Xander didn't believe her. Hell, she wasn't sure she believed herself. But that small glimmer of hope seemed to be what they needed to pull themselves together.

"Right," Xander said with a sniff, his hands going to his face to wipe away his tears, "We should go. Don't want to keep the goblins waiting."

The kettle whistled from behind her as she stood up, letting her brother go.

* * *

Harold Dodd had been the Sinclair family lawyer for as long as Hadley could remember. However, in all that time she had never met the man her parents would mention when talking of wills and property deeds and such.

Dodd was a thin man that appeared to be Dumbledore's age. The only hair he had left clung weakly to the sides of his head, and his tiny spectacles kept falling down his long, narrow nose.

"Ah yes, the Sinclairs," he said, lowering his frail body into his chair at a pace that would make a sloth seem like a hummingbird. The old man let out a long sigh as he settled and put the pile of papers on his desk. He took his time sifting through them and Hadley's foot started to bounce. She glanced over at Xander, whose jaw was tight. It seemed that after waiting for the better part of a hour for this man to return from lunch, both the Sinclair siblings were a bit impatient.

"Now, it looks like your parents willed everything to the both of you in equal shares. The house in Godric's Hollow was paid off a few years back. Unless you want to sell, it should be no problem. The money, however, may take some time to figure out."

"Why is that?" Hadley demanded gently, her foot still bouncing.

Dodd leaned back in his chair and Hadley thought she heard the old wooden thing sigh. "Since your father's only missing and not dead, Gringott's policy is to hold onto any willed properties until such a time as the case is closed by the Auror Office."

"So...you're kicking us out of the house?" Xander asked, concern flashing across his features.

Dodd chuckled, "No, no, nothing of the sort. You may continue to occupy the house, but you may not sell it until the deeds are in your names. I speak more of your parent's vault and accumulated wealth, which I took the liberty to have the goblins check this morning, and the amount is quite substantial. Now, if you two will sign these papers saying that we met this morning and you understand that you won't have access to the vault until such a time as your father is proven dead-"

"You said until the case was closed, _not_ until our father turns up dead," Hadley snapped. She didn't know why she kept bringing it up; she knew her father was most likely dead. But something deep inside her wanted to slap the old lawyer for his presumption and seemingly lackadaisical attitude. Their parents had just died, was it so difficult to show a little tact - if not a little sympathy?

"Erm - yes, my apologies Miss Sinclair," the old man wheezed as he passed the papers and a couple quills over his desk. Hadley quickly scribbled her name and rose to her feet, eager to get home.

"Xander, are you coming?" she asked, but her brother remained seated.

"You go on, Had, I've got to talk to Harold here about a will of my own," Xander explained. That realization hit Hadley in the gut, but she focused and apparated herself home.

* * *

James was waiting for her when she got home. After reading the note Sophie had left for them ("Off to the healer, not feeling so well. I'll be back later. Much love, S") she made them some tea and they sat in the living room, side by side on the couch as she told him about the lawyer's visit and their meeting with the funeral director the next day.

"How's your dad doing?" she asked, looking her friend over. He had dark circles under his eyes and his black hair was more of a mess than usual. His medium brown skin looked a little pale, and she knew he hadn't slept since they left Hogwarts.

"He's fine. Broken arm, a some burns on his left side. Nothing the healers can't handle," he dismissed, taking a sip of his tea.

Since Dumbledore's office it seemed to Hadley that James was avoiding her. Letting her fall into Sirius's arms and leaving her to be escorted by his two other friends when, under normal circumstances he would've gone with her. Now, sitting in her living room, she felt that he was holding back. Fleamont Potter's injuries couldn't be that simple if James looked like hell. There was something he wasn't telling her, and she wasn't going to take that from him. Not now.

"You don't have to downplay it for me, James," she stated. He looked at her and tilted his head.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if it's bad you can tell me."

"I'm just," James said, looking into his mug of tea sheepishly. "I'm worried you'll hold it against me."

"Hold what against you?"

"The fact that my dad lived and yours are...well…" James wouldn't meet her gaze.

Hadley was baffled, "Why in the world would I hold that against you? You weren't the one to break into my house and attack my family, James. Unless there's something you're not telling me," she added in a teasing tone, leaning over and pushing against his shoulder with hers.

"Well, you held one little fight against Sirius so…" he trailed off and Hadley rolled her eyes.

"That's entirely different! And with the way he helped me yesterday, he's earned a few points in his favor."

James shot her a sidelong glance, "So you're saying there's a chance with you and Sirius?"

The question caught her completely off-guard. Sirius and Remus had now seen her at her lowest point and been kind to her - why would James jump to the conclusion that she was attracted to Sirius? Admittedly, she was, but she was seeing Evan. Sort of.

What was she doing? She had bigger problems than her love life at the moment.

"Don't change the subject. How's your dad really doing?" she pushed against him again and he sighed.

"I didn't lie; the Healers say he'll be fine. Mostly," he muttered, taking another sip of tea.

"What do you mean _mostly_?"

"It's going to be a long recovery. 'Cos he's older, you know. And the spells got him real deep, caused some internal bleeding. They're um...not sure the pressure on his spine is going to go away so he might never walk again." James now focused on the rug in front of them and Hadley put an arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her and the two friends sat there, staring at the rug, for what felt like an eternity.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the front door opened and Hadley heard her brother pause in the hallway, sighing.

"Better get to work," he muttered. Hadley turned her head and watched him pull out his wand, muttering cleaning charms to remove the scorch marks. She nudged James and stood up, moving to help her brother.

She waved her wand and repaired the banister bit by bit while James fixed a shattered vase and righted the table it sat upon. When the area was fixed, the three of them proceeded upstairs, silently walking to the farthest room down the hall.

Their parents' room.

Hadley reached out for the handle. For a moment she let her hand rest on it, taking a steadying breath before she turned it.

She didn't know what she expected - to see her mother sitting on the bed, poring over a book, Rafi next to her asleep. The room was dark, the curtains pulled shut. The bed was mussed, where her parents had been awoken from their slumber. Hadley suddenly couldn't breathe.

Her parents had been asleep when they were attacked. They'd been sleeping right there, on that bed. If only she could reach back three days and tell them...

She turned suddenly, running toward the toilet. Lifting the lid just in time to hurl what little was in her stomach into it, tears streaming down her face while her hands shook violently.

Xander crouched next to her, gathering her hair as she went in for round two of heaving.

"Maybe we'll deal with their room later, yeah?" he asked rhetorically. James appeared a minute later with a glass of water.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she said weakly, leaning against the wall and accepting the water. Her insides felt like sludge, and the cool water felt good as she drank.

"It's okay," Xander assured her, putting a hand on her knee. "We do have some things to talk about, though. Think you're up for it?"

She nodded weakly and took another sip of water.

"Sophie and I were talking, she and I are going to move in here, into my old room. Would you mind that?"

"Not at all," she said before adding, "It's our house now. I'd rather it be occupied than not."

Xander nodded, but didn't say anything. The three of them heard the front door open and close, all turning their heads toward the sound. James and Xander were on their feet, wands at the ready until they heard Sophie climbing the stairs.

"It's me, boys, you can put your wands away," she said without a hint of cheer in her voice.

Xander walked down the hallway a bit and Hadley heard the couple murmuring to each other, and then Xander's voice.

"Pregnant?"

Hadley rose off the floor and shuffled to the doorway, looking down the hall toward her brother and sister-in-law.

"Yeah, love. I'm pregnant."

"Congratulations!" James said, clapping Xander on the back. The father-to-be looked rather pale, and he and Hadley looked at one another for a long moment. He looked hurt - deeply, soulfully hurt.

Hadley understood completely. This was the wrong time for this to happen. While she'd been daydreaming about becoming the "fun aunt" to her brother's children, it was too emotional a revelation to have at the moment. Caught in the middle of grief and uncertainty, she simply didn't have it in her to be happy at the moment.

Without saying a word, she turned and made her way to her studio space. She opened the skylight despite the October chill, and sat on the edge of it. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the rooftops of the town. The trees of the forest to her left had started to turn the bright reds and oranges of fall, and the chimneys of the town off to her right had smoke rising out of them, which made the chill breeze smell like a bonfire.

Normally, this sort of view would inspire Hadley and uplift her mood. She loved fall, with bonfires and schoolbooks and the heat of summer dissipating. But today it simply looked like the trees were ablaze, the quaint village blowing smoke into the air. It looked and felt like death. And truly, that was what autumn was, right? Plant life died out for the season, forest animals prepared for a long sleep, the warmth in the air gasped its last breath before being taken by the chill.

She was going to be an aunt, but her parents would never get to be grandparents. Their grandchild would never know them except for photos, which were sparse in the Sinclair household.

An idea blossomed in her head, and she moved back into her studio. She found her stacks of old sketchbooks and started flipping through them, ripping out as many sketches of her parents as she could find.

Maybe she couldn't muster up happiness for her brother and sister-in-law just yet, but she would eventually. And she would give that baby - and any that came after - a way to remember their grandparents. She wouldn't let them be forgotten, she couldn't.

With a flick of her wand, she summoned a prepped canvas and began to mix paint colors. She tied back her white blonde hair, and set to work memorializing her parents.

* * *

 **There you have it! Hadley's first day as a partial orphan, dealing with things with the help of her brother and best friend. I'm in a good place mentally, so I'm trying to write as much as I can while I can. Depression is a bitch, but for now it's _my_ bitch. **

**Please let me know what you think in a review!**

 **XOXO**


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